[inluvwithdisney]

I received a forwarded email yesterday!!

It was all about the college program and how terrible it is!!!
It talked about alot of underage drinking, drugs, and sexual activity out in the open!!!
I have no experience with this first hand so I feel I cannot not judge either way!!!
But it sure ripped this program and said there was no supervision or limitations!!
It also said that some of the young adults that did not agree with this lifestyle were heckled to the point of driving them out!!!
It stated that DISNEY turned their heads in this matter and did not care as long as they got cheap help!!
It also implied that Disney was mostly "GAY" employees and that was how the college program was too!!! And that the Gay community was very out in the open with their very graphic sexual acts!!!

As a Disney NUT I do not want to believe this!! But as a reasonable adult you know some of these things go on!! I just wonder how blown out of proportion this email was?!?!?

In any event I deleted the email!!!! I did not feel it was worth much but it did bother me some!! I just wondered if others received this or have heard about this???

[lopo]

Where did the E-mail originate? Was it from a friend? An acquaintance? Someone you do not know? I'd imagine that the content of the message is disturbing and somewhat unnerving. However, I think that I'd take it 'with a grain of salt" (esp. if I didn't know anything about the author!)

[DisneyTeacher]

If the e-mail was not from someone you know with first hand knowledge I wouldn't worry too much about it. I am sure the college program is a lot like college; there is going to be drinking, drugs, sex and a lot wild times. I don't feel WDW has to babysit these young adults any more than a college would, I am sure there are rules and some get away with breaking them.

Everyone has different values and what is way over the top to one person is normal to another. The person who wrote the e-mail may have very high morals and seeing some of this may have been very upsetting. To someone else getting drunk every night is normal.

[inluvwithdisney]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

If the e-mail was not from someone you know with first hand knowledge I wouldn't worry too much about it. I am sure the college program is a lot like college; there is going to be drinking, drugs, sex and a lot wild times. I don't feel WDW has to babysit these young adults any more than a college would, I am sure there are rules and some get away with breaking them.

Everyone has different values and what is way over the top to one person is normal to another. The person who wrote the e-mail may have very high morals and seeing some of this may have been very upsetting. To someone else getting drunk every night is normal.

Oh I agree DisneyTeacher!!! I feel it is alot like any college campus!! I just feel it is terrible that this email is out there TRASHING Disney!!! Especially, unfortunately, because that is the world today!!!

[lawwin]

We could ask RowdyRaider about it, because he is a cp right now. However, if you've read his posts, he barely has time to sleep, breathe, and eat. They work the kids in the college program hard and that is why some don't make it. I was accepted into the college program a few years ago, but was unable to make it due to my obligations as a mother and some other personal conflicts. But, I know that I would have been worked hard, but treasured the experience. My dd wants to be a cp when she is old enough.

It sounds like this person just wants to bash Disney for Gay days and they are using the college program to do it. I would not believe a word of this email and I wholeheartedly believe that the college program is an excellent opportunity for young people to be exposed to Disney and taking a career with Disney further. There isn't an email out there that could convince me otherwise. I despise it when people put trash like that on the internet and send it out hoping to affect Disney's reputation and business. That is the awful truth behind that email and I wouldn't believe it for a second.

[MerlinMatt]

I think it's a good practice to look suspiciously upon any unsolicited e-mail. If this was such important news, why don't we hear about it anywhere else? There are a number of folks in addition to Rowdy who have done the CP and no one has ever even implied that it could be that bad.

I, too, am doubly suspicious of the comment about homosexuals and flagrant sexual activity.

I know quite a few gay men and women and none of them are any more guilty of public displays of affection than any of my straight friends. This type of commentary smacks of someone with an ax to burn.

My suggestion is to delete it and ignore it unless you hear the same story from a legitimate source of news.

[dznygrl]

Well, I don't know about the college program first-hand, but here is my two cents just from working for Disney:

1) I have heard many stories about the WDW college program, including the drugs, sex, etc. I have even heard that yes, some people have been "driven out." (Thus being one of my hesitations to keep me from entering the program.) HOWEVER, these are just STORIES. I can't say any of the sources I heard them from were reliable. On the other hand, I have heard great success stories too! I suppose it all depends on the source.

2) Regarding the gay employees and their "open sexual acts"...I will say that there is definitely a VERY large percentage of homosexual employees working for Disney. It is certainly noticeable, and most of them are indeed very open with their sexuality. Since I don't live with any of them, it's difficult to say how they act outside of work. So I certainly believe that there are a lot of homosexual employees, but I can't say anything about their extracurricular activities.

We really do need a thot or two from RowdyRaider on this issue, definitely. Nothing like an inside source.

[inluvwithdisney]

I agree Rowdy where are ya????

[tinkerbell]

sounds like trash to me

[josh1300]

I have a friend doing the program right now at WDW working on splash mountain. We are good friends, both involved with our campus ministry...so I consider him a reliable source. We visited him last month in Orlando, and he told us all about the program. While he didnt comment on the sexual orientation of his coworkers, he did mention that almost every person he hangs out with down there smokes pot...and this is my friend from church! But his feelings were, as you said, that the college program is similiar to college. There are those who do, and those who dont. But I wouldnt say it reflects at all on the program itself. While at work these kids were fine...it was after hours that they do what they do. I dont think you can blame disney about lack of supervision, it is probably similiar to that of college security...if it were seen, it wouldnt be allowed, but disney cant be a parent to every kid down there. I would also say that if it at all interfered with their job performance or customer interaction, disney wouldnt just let it slide. All in all, my friend is having a blast! He loves it, and he isnt gay and doesnt do drugs. But just like on any other college campus, I guess there are many different types of people...and lifestyles

[tragic312]

that is terrible inluvwithdisney. i'm sorry that you received such an awful email. it was probably some college kid or even a high school kid making a prank and making a joke out of Disney's good name. I wouldn't let it get to me if i received that email, which i surely do hope to never receive.

[inluvwithdisney]

The only reason I even opened it was because it was titled " What would Mickey and Minnie Say???"

I was thinking it was gonna be some cute little cartoon or something!!!

[MissDisney]

Ignore all email garbage! There is always someone out there who wants to ruffle feathers! The college program sounds terrific. Period!

[brumcg]

While I have no idea why unsolicited e-mail attacking the CP program is being distributed, there were a series of articles at jimhillmedia.com several months ago about the program. Several of the articles paint a similar picture as the e-mail; several didn't.

I would agree with Disney Teacher's comments. It sounds very much like a college atmosphere, and if that's not your thing it can be overwhelming.

I personally know someone who left the CP early. She wasn't happy with the living arrangements, but stuck together with like-minded people and that made it bearable. Her primary unhappiness was that her 'College Program' consisted of standing outside and frying french fries all day long. She knew she was going to be in food service but imagined something more challenging or at least something with more variety.

Bruce

[CherryCherryNU]

It is just like college here, except instead of going to class we all go work at Disney. So there are quite a few parties here, yes you hear about a lot of people hooking up )this place is nicknamed Vista Lay), there is a lot of drinking down here and you'd be surprised that most of the students are of age to drink, those who aren't run the risk of getting caught and terminated imediatley. The security guards are nice here, but they have no problem doing there job. As for the sexual orientation of the male employees, yes there are quite a few gay men down here, a lot are in entertainment and a lot are just down here to get away from home where they aren't able to be themselves. Really, you shouldn't let an e-mail ruin your image of disney, remember that we create the magic onstage, off we're normal college age students.