The Disney College Program Packing and Arrival Tips
Author: JoanieThu, May 10, 2012
The countdown has begun! My daughter will be leaving next week to spend 7 months working and learning in Walt Disney World. She’ll be taking part in the Fall Advantage Program with the Disney College Program. My husband and I will also be going with her to help her get settled in her apartment. We’re very excited that she’ll have this amazing opportunity.
The uncertainty of what to expect can make many College Program participants and their parents quite nervous. The unknown can be scary. I remember when our oldest son, Michael did his first Disney College Program, we searched the internet for information on what to bring and what to expect at check in and sadly didn’t find a whole lot of information. The Disney College Program website did help us a bit but I was looking for information from participants themselves who recently completed the program.
I sat down with my son the other day and we talked about our experiences with Arrival Day and packing. I hope these tips help clarify things a bit for you.
PACKING TIPS
1.) Don’t pack too much. Keep in mind that it’s warm most days in Orlando but the late Fall and Winter does get cool so bring sweaters and a jacket. You’ll be in your work uniform for much of each day.
2.) If you’re flying down to Orlando, plan on buying your bedding, towels, toiletries etc. at either Wal-Mart or Target stores in Orlando. There’s also a very nice outlet mall right around the corner from the College Program apartments. My son found that he needed black dress shoes for his job at Soarin’ and a few nice shirts so we drove to the mall to pick them up.
3.) Remember, parents can always ship fall/winter clothes when you need them if arriving in the summer.
4.) Don’t forget your Disney paperwork.
5.) If you’ll be driving a car and keeping it with you, bring your current vehicle registration, proof of insurance in your name and your current US Drivers License.
6.) Bring dental and health insurance information.
7.) Bring extra cash. You probably won’t be getting your first paycheck until the 2nd or 3rd week.
8.) Disney has direct deposit. It’s nice to have the money directly deposited into your account. Bring a blank check so you can set up direct deposit.
ARRIVAL DAY
1.) It’s nice if you can arrive a few days earlier. If you’re coming with your parents, it’s especially nice for them to have that one-on-one time with you.
2.) Dress comfortably, but in good taste. You’ll be moving in on this day so you want to be comfortable but remember you need to be within the “Disney Look”. Avoid looking too sloppy. Jeans and shorts are acceptable.
3.) On the actual sign-in day, arrive early. Check-in doesn’t begin until 9 but we arrived at 8:00 AM and there was already a line forming. My son made friends with the kids he was standing in line with and he remains friends with them to this day. These were the guys and gals he went to Disneyworld with on the first “free” day he had. You might consider taking a water bottle and some snacks with you since you’ll be waiting in line a long time.
3.) There’s a place for parents to wait until check-in is finished. We had no idea how long the process would take so we waited. It took quite a long time. We decided to tour the Disney Vacation Club rooms and hear the presentation since we’d been considering buying into the Disney Vacation Club for quite some time. There were DVC buses that would take parents to the Saratoga Springs Resort if they’d like to learn more about the Vacation Club.
There are also light refreshments for the parents if they wish to remain with their you.
This time, my husband and I will drop our daughter off, wait a bit to see if she needs anything and head back to our hotel and wait for her call.
4.) After check-in, the program participants will head over to Casting where the remaining paperwork will be finalized and most importantly, you’ll find out your job assignments and where you will be working. It’s the time for fingerprinting for background checks and you will be assigned a day to attend Traditions,which is where you will learn everything about Disney.
5.) Then the group will board buses that will take the participants to their apartments.
6.) Then it will probably be time to meet up with your parents and prepare to move in.
7.) There is usually a meeting at the apartment later in the day to go over policies and procedures and rules and regulations while living in the apartments.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR TRADITIONS
Traditions is a part of the Disney training that you’ll receive before you begin your work at Disneyworld. You are taught the history of Disneyworld, background about Walt Disney and you’ll be introduced to the way Disneyworld operates.
The question of what to wear to Traditions is such a huge concern for most College Program participants. Disney states that participants must wear business casual clothes for Traditions. What exactly does this mean?
For Michael’s program, we saw girls in dresses and nice pants and shirts. No dresses with spaghetti straps or tank tops were allowed. We saw guys in nice pants and nice shirts. Our son chose a pair of khaki pants and a collared dress shirt that we picked up at the outlet mall the day before.
Please drop me a line if you have any other questions that I haven’t answered and I’d love to hear from any Disney College Program graduates and their parents with any tips they could add.
For additional information on the Disney College Program, check out these articles…
The Disney College Program – A Few Additional Tips For Parents
Tags: arrival, Check-in, College, disney, Disney College Program, Mickey Mouse, Mouse, Orlando, packing, Traditions, Walt Disney World
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Great article. I am starting the program in a few weeks. Just a quick question, when did your son/daughter receive their ID card to bring a family member into the park? My sister is coming down to Orlando with me and we are trying to figure out if I would be able to bring her into the park on the first or second day, or not. Thanks again.
Congratulations on being accepted into the program! Our daughter received her “Main Gate Pass”, which is the pass that would allow her to bring guests into the park about 3-4 weeks after she began the program. You will however, be able to get 10 percent off her ticket after you attend “Traditions” and get your ID card. The “Traditions” class is usually a day or two after check-in. Let me know if you have any other questions and I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your info. My daughter will be starting the DCP on January 14, 2013 and she thinks she needs to bring a TV with her for her bedroom. I assume that a furnished apartment included tv’s in the kids bedrooms but i’ve not been able to find anything on-line to confirm either way. Also, other than toiletries and bedding type items and cash, is there anything else that she would need to bring? Girls and guys ideas of necessities are usually different as i’m sure you already know having one of each. Thanks again for your blog and I look forward to hearing from you. Denise
Denise, Congratulations to your daughter on her acceptance into the Disney College Program. It’s an amazing opportunity that I’m sure she’ll enjoy. The apartments have beds, dressers, kitchen pots and pans, sofas, but no televisions. As far as items to bring, my daughter found she needed a small fan for her room since the air conditioning is a central unit and she wanted her room cooler. In addition, both of my kids found a bulletin board to be a much needed item. There is a Target and a Walmart close to the apartments and an outlet mall just down the road. If she finds she needs items once she arrives, it won’t be hard for her to get them. Hope this helps.
Hi, I am starting the DCP on January 14th. I am driving down with my dad from Arizona to Disney World. I had two questions. I know parking at the appartments is free but if I drive to work do I have to pay for that and second, my dads plane ticket home is for the second day we are there at like 5pm. Is that going to work okay. Will I be able to take him to the airport? I emailed disney but they were kind of vauge on what we do the first two days but it didn’t sound like we would have a lot of time to move in on day one so thats why hes leaving later on day two.
Hi Katie, Congratulations on your acceptance into the program. Parking for employees is free if you drive to your job. You won’t be working on your second day but you may be scheduled to attend what Disney calls “Traditions” which is basically a Disney training program. Some people attend Traditions on the second or third day, it depends on the schedule you receive when you get there. We moved our kids in on their first day. They spent the night in their apartments on the first night. We spent day two picking up odds and ends for their apartment so both of them had some free time. Chances are you’ll be able to move in on day one. Best of luck to you!
Any advice on which hotels to stay at when we arrive? My daughter starts January 21st. She has three girls she’s met online that she would like to room with. How do they work that out? Do they just look for each other that morning and hope they get the apartment complex they want? Or do you connect with Disney first and tell them that you’ve already chosen roommates?
There are various Disney resorts located on the Disney property that you can stay at and since the time period you’ll be visiting is in the “Value Season”, the prices start at around $84. There are also many hotels near Vista apartments, which is where the CP’s check-in. The Holiday Inn Sunspree and the Marriott Village are both very close hotel options.
If your daughter has friends she would like to room with, she should arrange to meet up with them on check-in day, stand in line together and when they check-in, indicate that they would like to be roommates. This is what my son did when he did his college program. My son is beginning another college program in California in a few weeks and he just received a letter asking about roommate preferences. He didn’t receive this letter when he did the Florida program so I’m not sure if it’s done differently in Florida. Hope this helps!
Hi there.. Thanks so much for all the information! I apologize if this has already been asked and aswered. Can you tell me if there is free WIFI in the area parents are allowed to wait. I will be flying down with my daughter next weekend and don’t really want to wonder around alone so I’ve decided to wait at Vista while she completes check in. Having WIFI would be an awesome perk! Thanks again and Happy New Year!
Hi Yvette, Happy New Year to you as well. I don’t think there is WIFI in the parent’s waiting area at Vista. I do remember there being a Starbucks about 5 minutes away which would have free WIFI.
Hi, I am about to start the program in a little under a week, I will be driving down and I just wondered if you knew where we park and if we take buses to the apartments how do I get my stuff out of my car to move in?
Also, I completed my paperwork online, do I also need a printed copy with me when I arrive?
Hi Chloe, On check-in day, you can park your car at Vista Apartments. Vista is the location of your check-in. After you check in, you will be given a time to go to “Casting” where you will be given your ID and other things you need. There are buses that take the new Cast Members to Casting so you won’t need your car during that time. After you go to Casting, you can drive to your apartment to unload your things and settle in.
I would recommend printing a copy of all the paperwork you completed. You many not need it, but I think it’s a good idea to have it “just in case”.
Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
I will be starting my program in a couple of weeks! Do you think it is best to bring a car? I am afraid that I will not need it since there are shuttles everywhere. Thank you!
So, I do have one more question, I am trying to finish packing and my mom I worried that I have too many clothes with me. I am trying to balance casual clothes with dress clothes and work out clothes.
When It comes to clothes and shoes how do I know if I am bringing too much?
Thank you so much for your speedy response last time! You’re so helpful!
So, I do have one more question, I am trying to finish packing and my mom I worried that I have too many clothes with me. I am trying to balance casual clothes with dress clothes and work out clothes.
When It comes to clothes and shoes how do I know if I am bringing too much?
Thank you so much for your speedy response last time! You’re so helpful!
Hi Morgan, You certainly don’t need to have a car to get to and from work. There are buses that take cast members to and from all the parks, hotels, Downtown Disney, Wal-Mart and other places. My son, didn’t have a car during his first college program and found he didn’t need it at all. He brought his car to his second program and found that he kept it parked most of the time at his apartment. On occasion, he would drive to Universal Studios or other places the buses didn’t go to.
Chloe, My son and daughter found that they didn’t need to bring a lot of clothes. They were in their uniforms most of the time and didn’t even wear all that they brought. You’ll want to bring clothes for going to the parks and possibly out to dinner or the movies. If you choose to take advantage of the Disney classes, you’ll need to dress in business casual clothing (nice pants or dresses/skirts). The temperatures are mild in Florida so my kids didn’t need a heavy coat. They got by with sweatshirts and sweaters.
Thank you so much! =.]
Thank you so much!
Hey Joanie! im 17 and I am planning to do the program this year! I have a few questions.
1. How much do you get payed in the program?
2. is there trannsporttion that ALSO takes you to the park?
3. Do you have to buy groceries for your apartment?
4. how many free days are there? can you get out of the apartments or the disney grounds in those free days?
5. I’ve been dying my hair a dark maroon red for awhile, will they let you work there if you have that color, or owuld you have to dye it to a neutral color?
6. is it considered bad if you go to another park (ex:universal stuidos) for a free day?
7.Are you aloud to request a roomate? My best friend and I are going to the same college and we both got accepted to the program, so is it possible to also room with her?
Please answer im really worried!
Thank you for posting this article, though. It helped me alot!
Hi Ronnie, Great questions you asked and I’ll try to answer them the best I can. First of all, it’s hard to give you an accurate answer as to how much you will be paid because different positions in different locations pay a little differently. There may be more opportunities for overtime in each of the different parks which would affect your pay. In general, the pay is not much more than minimum wage but it’s enough to cover apartment costs plus food, etc. .
There are buses that take cast members to and from the parks for work and also for non-work visits to the park, hotels and Downtown Disney.
You need to buy groceries for your apartment. There will be dishes and a few pots and pans in the apartments but you need to buy the food. There are buses that go to and from Wal-Mart so you can pick up the items you need.
Each job will give you days off and it’s hard to say how many days off you will have. Expect to have a day or two off a week. You can come and go from the apartments anytime you want to and you can visit the parks any day you choose.
Disney likes it’s employees to look very natural. If you hair color isn’t too flashy, bright or unnatural, it might be fine.
It is perfectly fine to go to any non-Disney park you choose. Disney doesn’t care.
You can request a roommate if you’d like. Take a look on the Disney College Program website to see if there is a form to fill out. Otherwise, meet up on check-in day and stand in line together. You can request to room together at that time.
One additional note, If you’re on Facebook, find the Disney College Program facebook page for your term. It’s a great opportunity for you to “meet” and chat with the other kids arriving the same time you are and they usually have get-togethers before check-in so everyone can meet each other.
Hope this helps!
I’m looking at doing the Fall Advantage 2013 program, so the application will be opening in just a few days. Do you know when the FA program check-in dates usually are? I’ve seen answers online ranging from mid-may to mid-june. I’m trying to get there closer to mid-June, and wondered if it’s possible that they give a range of dates for arrival… thanks so much!!
Hi Jenni, the arrival dates are typically the last week of the month of May and sometimes early to mid June. When you have your telephone interview, I would suggest you discuss your availability at that time.
My daughter has an arrival date of Monday June 10 for the Fall Advantage program. We were planning on driving down a day or 2 earlier and then i will fly back after she checks in. I have a couple of questions: 1. Do you think it is reasonable for me to fly back on the evening of June 10 (check in day) or would you recommend flying out the next day? I wasn’t sure when I would be needed to help move her in (I assume it would be Monday afternoon after check-in) and if there was anything else she’d need me for. 2. DO you know if she would be free that evening (Monday, check-in day) to drive me to the airport or whether she’d be involved in other events (in which case I’m assuming I can arrange a Mears shuttle to pick me up from the apartment area???) It seems tricky for me to arrange a flight now and airport shuttle without knowing whether she’ll need me on Monday! 3. Is there only one phone jack (for landline) in the apartments and is it located centrally? Is there a way to get a landline phone in the bedrooms? Maybe just a long cord. Thanks SO much for your wisdom!!
Hi Amy,
We found that we moved our kids in to their apartments on their check-in days. Their evening was free for them to hang out with new friends or do whatever they wanted to do. So, if you already have your flight scheduled to leave the evening of her check-in day, you should be fine and probably won’t experience a conflict with her driving you to the airport.
There is a landline phone in the kitchen area of the apartments and everyone shared it. My kids didn’t remember seeing phone jacks in the bedrooms. Just outlets where they could plug in cell phones if they had them.
Hope this helps.
Joanie
What can you tell me about the apartment complexes? Concerned parent about all the parties
Melanie,
I can certainly remember being in your position when our son left for his first college program several years ago. It can be a little scary as a parent not knowing much about the different apartments. I’ll try to fill you in with what I know.
My son stayed in Chatham his first time and Patterson his second. My daughter stayed in Chatham her first and only time. Both apartment complexes are very nice but Chatham is more convenient to the bus stop.
Vista has a bit of a reputation as being the “party apartments” and alcohol is allowed there.
If the college program kids are 21 and up, they stay in what they call wellness apartments and alcohol is allowed. All of the kids in each apartment have to be about the same age. For example, if your child is under 21 then he will room with other kids who are under 21 and absolutely no alcohol is allowed. There are also periodic checks of the rooms by Disney management. There is zero tolerance at Disney for underage drinking.
There is a curfew at both Chatham and Patterson and guests of the opposite sex who are visiting and they have to be out by either 12 or 1.
Hope this helps.
There aren’t bus stops at all the apartments? Silly. Yes your answer helped alot. He has a good head on his should but he will be away. And what’s that saying when the cats away the mice will play.
Melanie,
There is a bus stop at Vista and a bus stop at Chatham. The Patterson apartment complex is across the street and 1/2 block away (not far) from Chatham. It’s slightly more convenient to be at Chatham to catch the bus simply because it’s right out front.
Hi Joanie,
I’m from Washington State and will be attending the program in Florida this upcoming fall. Since it’s quite the distance for me I plan on flying and not bringing a car. Is it going to be pretty difficult moving in on my own (without my parents) and with no car, etc.? Also, how much extra furniture-type items do you think are necessary to have?
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt,
It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to move in on your own and without a car. We saw many kids moving in on their own. My kids only brought two suitcases with them so it was easy to bring them to the apartment and settle in. After check-in, there is a bus that takes the college program participants to the apartments. My kids mostly brought clothes and found they could pick up any extra items they needed for their apartment at Target or Walmart (buses run to Walmart). The apartments are fully furnished. There are dishes and a table in the kitchen, a sofa and coffee table in the living room, and the bedrooms consist of two beds, a dresser, two night stands and closets.
Your blog has been SO helpful, especially coming from a different perspective. Thank you very much for taking the time to provide all this information. I’ve found everything so helpful. Sorry, but I have a lot of questions
1. Did your kids do any of the classes offered? I will (hopefully) be doing DCP after I graduate, so I won’t need to take anything for credit. I’ve heard some people taking them just for fun? Also, do you have any idea how many classes on average people take?
2. Since I’ll be flying, what do you suggest initally packing versus waiting to buy once I get there?
3. What type of clothes did your daughter pack?
4. Were they able to travel around Floria (Universal, Sea World, etc.) pretty easily without a car?
5. Did they enjoy where they lived and worked?
Hi Brittnie, I’m so glad you found the post helpful and I certainly don’t mind answering your questions. My son took a class called, “Marketing You” and loved it. He graduated from college last November and found the class helped him so much when preparing his resume and he refers back to his notes all the time. I can highly recommend that class even though you will have already graduated. Not all of the kids take classes. If your schedule allows, you might want to look into some of them.
As for packing, the temperatures are mild in Florida so I would recommend packing for summer/spring. Mostly shorts, jeans, nice clothes for the Disney classes and a couple of sweaters. You could arrange to have your winter clothes sent to you as you need them and you might not even need them at all. There is a Wal-Mart, Target and an outlet mall very close by so towels, sheets, etc. can be purchased once you get there.
My son took his car to Florida when he did his second college program. He didn’t use it that much. He didn’t have a car during his first program and my daughter didn’t either and they found that so many other kids had cars, someone was always driving somewhere. They were able to go to Universal while they were there and my son even took a road trip with friends to the Florida Keys. Not having a car wasn’t a problem.
My son loved where he worked. He worked at Soarin’ in Epcot during his first program and enjoyed it very much. For his second program, he worked at One Man’s Dream at Hollywood Studios. It wasn’t as exciting as Soarin’ but he loved the experience of working at Disney. I don’t think it mattered to him where he worked. My daughter worked Custodial in the Magic Kingdom. Her days were very long. At first, she honestly didn’t enjoy her job but as time went on she found some enjoyment in it. My son and daughter both lived in Chatham and for my son’s second term, he lived in Patterson. They found both apartments very nice.
Hope this helps and good luck to you!
Joanie: My daughter begins the CP in WDW this coming August. I found your blog incredibly helpful. Thanks so much for doing this. I have a few questions. What type of bedding should we bring (twin, full)? Are there any programs or presentation specifically for the parents? How many days after check-in do you think is good to stay in the area? I don’t want to overstay my welcome, but I want to make sure she is all situated.
Hi Pat, We weren’t sure about the bed size either but we ended up purchasing twin XL because that’s what college dorms usually specify. The twin XL sheets fit fine.
There aren’t any programs that we were aware of when we brought our two kids for their college programs. There was a place to sit and talk to other parents and a few representatives from Disney that answered a few of our questions at Vista Apartments when our kids were checking in but nothing else. They didn’t have a presentation, it was simply cookies and coffee while we waited.
The first time we brought our son to his program, my husband and I stayed two days after his check in and our son was so busy that he didn’t have time to meet up with us except for one evening. The other two times we brought our son and our daughter to their programs, we left the day after check in. Check in and move in is the same day. After we moved our kids into their apartments, we went shopping for extras and found the kids wanted to be in their apartments getting to know their new roommates that night. Leaving the day after check in gives the kids a chance to get what they need then it’s good for them to be on their own meeting new people.
Hi Joanie, thanks so much for all the info! My daughter begins the CP in August and I am flying down with her. I’m wondering if you can give me the names of a few nearby hotels and how close they are. I’m debating if I will need to rent a car or if there are hotels close enough.
Hi Michele, We’ve stayed at a couple of the Disney All-Star resorts and in August, I believe there is a discount for it being a “value season”. By checking http://www.disneyworld.com, you could get a more accurate rate. Staying on Disney properties allows you to take advantage of the Magical Express shuttle which will take you to and from the airport. Another hotel close by would be the Holiday Inn Sunspree (we have not stayed here). I would suggest renting a car even if you stay at a Disney resort. You’ll need it to get your daughter to Vista apartments for check in and to carry her suitcases. If you need to get to a store to purchase anything for her apartment, you’ll have the to car to take you there. The hotels are not in walking distance to Vista apartments. Hope this helps.
Your site has been so helpful. My son is starting the program in August. He said there is three dates to choose from to arrive. Does your check in date affect your apartment assignment. It is also likely he will be by himself to check in. Approximately how far is the target, Walmart store from the apts. is it walkable
Hi Cheryl,
The check-in date does affect your apartment assignment. You’re son would have a better chance at getting the apartment complex he wants if he checks in on an earlier date.
Walmart and Target are not in walking distance from the apartments. However, there is a bus that picks kids up at the apartments and takes them to Walmart and a grocery store. Target is farther away than Walmart and there is no bus that will bring them there. There is an outlet mall that is in walking distance from Chatham and Patterson apartments.
Hi! Your blog was extremely helpful and informative. My arrival date for the Disney college program is May 10. My Disney classes don’t start until June 25. Do participants start working after the arrival date? Or after the classes start? Thank you!!
Hi Jenny, I’m so glad you’re finding the blog helpful. Yes, you will start working at your job before classes start. After your check-in day, things will begin to take off. You’ll have an apartment orientation soon after you check-in, a day or two later you’ll have Traditions and then you begin your job. We’ve found that classes usually begin a couple of weeks after kids get settled.