About Us
We are a volunteer group of parents whose college-age students are past, present and future participants of the Disney College Program.
What started as a ‘bunch of moms’ talking on Facebook back toward the end of 2013, has grown to encompass parents whose students are International College Program participants, Cultural Representatives, Culinary Program participants, and on Professional and Management Internships (some of these roles are on hold during the pandemic). Many of our students are program alumni and more than a few have stayed with Disney in full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles well past their internship days.
Our members often join with an eye to learning more about the Disney College Program, either so as to not bombard their kids with questions to which they may not yet know the answers, but to offer support (more and, in many cases, financial) as they participate in what is likely the most exciting internship in the world.
Our goal is to assist similar parents to gain insight into this amazing opportunity in order to help and support their kids to succeed through their experience. While a plethora of information exists for students, there are limited resources for parents.
We aim to plug that gap.
We have grown to an incredible force of over 15,000 parents, with more in our offshoot, member-only pages that help with travel planning, roommate-finding, and a multitude of other day-to-day needs of those participating in the program, and beyond.
While the statistics of the Disney College Program place 90% of interns in Orlando at Walt Disney World, the remaining 10% also have a home in our group, as we have many parents with experiences gained from their kids’ participation in the now-defunct program in Anaheim at Disneyland Resort.
Our website presence is intended to offer you an entry point to our Facebook page, where you can learn more, gain opportunities to communicate with other parents, and enjoy a forum where you may ask questions from others who have ‘lived the dream’ albeit vicariously through their children.
WELCOME!
Laura Schwartz
Laura’s d
aughter applied for the program in 2013, on the very last day applications were open. She was accepted 6 days later and extended to complete a full program year. She completed another program in 2016. After a few years with DCL, she’s now The Driver for a majority of our DCP famiies when they’re in town, specializing in airport and local rides, with a Facebook page of her own: DCP Rides – Flamingo Crossings.
Laura was instrumental in growing the Disney College Program – DCP Parents Facebook group from its infancy in October 2013 and is now proudly the somewhat snarky-yet-sweet lead Admin of the group. A former Orlando resident, Laura brings to this group knowledge about the area (particularly about home-buying and offers free referrals to experienced Realtors to help you make your — and your student’s — dreams come true; message her at laura@dcpparents.com), a parent’s perspective on the program, and a smattering of bits and pieces of helpful nonsense about all aspects of life.
She and her husband are Disney Vacation Club Members and Disney Cruise Line Platinum vacationers who go to the Parks under protest, except during Food & Wine! They also own property in Clermont which they rent to Cast Members and in Winter Garden, where they intend to retire in the coming years.
Debbie Hogan
Debbie’s love of Disney began as a small child while watching the Mickey Mouse Club daily before school back in the 1960s. Fifty years later, she’s still hooked and has racked up numerous visits to Walt Disney World.
Now a mom of twins, one of whom completed the Disney College Program, Debbie is our Gatekeeper, checking parents in through our Facebook page door, a painstaking role at which she excels. She’s also a vital information source on our Facebook group, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with other parents navigating the magical journey that is the Disney College Program.
Heather Kotcher
After learning about the DCP from a friendly Cast Member at 16 years old, Heather’s daughter completed two WDW Fall Advantage programs and a Summer Alumni between 2015-2018. She is now living her dream as a Cast Member in a prestigious role and paying it forward by telling young princes and princesses all about the DCP!
Heather is a former teacher and an avid researcher at heart, so she immersed herself in learning all about the program during her daughter’s time there. She loves sharing what she has learned with new parents, and hopes they are inspired to pass along their experiences and knowledge to the next generations of DCP parents, as well!
Cheryl Miller Haldi
Cheryl’s daughter did her first CP in 2014. Within a week of returning to college that year, her daughter applied for the next session of the College Program and headed back to WDW.
With researching and writing in her blood, Cheryl was an obvious choice to organize and enhance the Facebook group’s existing but often misunderstood Files, turning them into the powerhouse Guides they are now. With Cheryl as our ‘Librarian,’ things are now running smoothly for whenever someone needs to “Check the Guides!”
Cheryl spends her free time with her granddaughters and is a volunteer Patient Advocate for Oncology patients several days a week. She travels any chance she gets – her first Disney trip was 40+ years ago, with countless visits to WDW and a few to DLR – and will go wherever, whenever the opportunity arises!
Kyndall Williams
Many of you will find that the first member of our Facebook Group’s Mod Squad you meet will be Kyndall, as she’s our Host at our Meet Ups on the Night Before Check In! And while Kyndall is checking you in and helping with name badges, her husband, Jeff, will entertain you and your CPs with his wonderful greeting to the DCP!
Their daughter started in the DCP and is now a Cast Member, as is her husband, and is a Performer for the company. The whole family, who reside in an actual castle in Florida, with children and grandchildren, offer a variety of nifty items on our website and Facebook vendor page, as well as having a small pop-up shop at every Meet Up.
Kathy Nishimoto
Helping us ensure 24-hour coverage of our Facebook page is Kathy, a Southern California native who still lives near to the Disneyland Resort. Her daughter is a former CP and now full-time Cast Member at Disneyland!
In addition to being one of our Disneyland experts, while you may not see Kathy on the Facebook page too much, rest assured she’s always hard at work, often while we on Central and Eastern time are asleep, ensuring that things are running smoothly on the page. Her wit and wisdom keeps us going!
Laura Ann Johnson Erchul
Although based in the cold climate of Minnesota, Laura warms us up with her sunny disposition and proficient knowledge of all things Disney entertainment. Her daughter, another former CP, is now a Performer with the Disney Cruise Line, so she’s able to offer us a wide perspective of the Entertainment sphere. Plus, she’s an actress herself, so she knows how to keep our page free of the dreaded drama!
Another California girl, Laura has in-depth knowledge of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and is known to be able to answer questions with ease about either Park and their various Cast Member questions.
Kristi Reese Woolard
Kristi is a member favorite who joined us at the start of her son’s second DCP stint because she was afraid she wouldn’t have enough to do in her newly-empty nest. No problem, we put her right to work! Kristi can turn her hand to just about any project and has spearheaded quite a few for our group.
Her organizational skills and ability to quickly provide sound answers to various questions raised by membership make our day-to-day efforts that much easier. Kristi’s son is now a fully-fledged Cast Member and we hear it won’t be too much longer before Kristi and her husband make the plunge to Florida themselves.