The Making of Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
$1,195 + | 72 Hours (equivalent to 6 credits)
SPACE IS LIMITED AND FILLS UP QUICKLY, SO REGISTER EARLY!
CLASS SCHEDULE
DAY 1: 3:00PM – 8:00PM
DAY 2: 8:30AM – 10:30PM
DAY 3: 9:30AM – 10:30PM
DAY 4: 7:30AM – 5:00PM
Offered in collaboration with Hudson County Community College
Instructors & Coordinators: Vanessa Hornedo & Andrea Smith
December 11 – 14, 2024
January 22 – 25, 2025
February 26 – 1, 2025
March 26 – 29, 2025
April 23 – 26, 2025
May 28 – 31, 2025
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Take a class in the Happiest Place on Earth and learn how they make the magic happen. This is our most versatile class, where you will not only learn about the history and making of Walt Disney World but also learn what it takes to create a theme park of your very own.
The class will start with pre-assignments, three weeks before the trip. You will start working on your assignments so that by the time you get to Disney, you will already know most of its history. At WDW, you will visit educational attractions in THREE Disney theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom.
At the Magic Kingdom you will visit Liberty Square where you will experience an audio-animatronic show located in the Hall of Presidents that will introduce you to all 45 U.S. presidents and will be an entertaining introduction to American history.
You will also visit Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress where you will travel through the 20th century to see how technology has improved our way of life. The Carousel of Progress was first debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair and is one of the only attractions in the park to have been personally created by Walt Disney himself, so it really is a piece of Disney history! You’ll also take a journey with the Pirates of the Caribbean where you might even catch a glimpse of Jack Sparrow himself. And, of course, no Disney trip would be complete without a trip down Main Street to visit Cinderella’s Castle – the icon of the Magic Kingdom.
At EPCOT, you’ll expand your cultural diversity without the expense of traveling around the world by visiting the 11 countries of the EPCOT World Showcase. Each country is represented through shows, restaurants, and attractions that highlight the traditions of people from around the world. You’ll take a Frozen boat ride with Elsa in Norway, escape the head chef with Remy in France, and see the diverse landscapes of Canada in a 360 theatre.
Spaceship Earth will take you through the history of communication from the Stone Age to the computer age. You’ll fly high on Soarin, where you will enjoy a breathtaking journey gliding over some of the world’s most awe-inspiring sights – from the Great Wall of China to Iguazu Falls in South America.
At Animal Kingdom, you’ll gain a better understanding about the importance of animal conservation with attractions like Pandora’s River Journey and It’s Tough to Be a Bug.
You’ll be on the lookout for the 34 different species of animals in the Savannah during this 18-minute cruise in your expedition vehicle at Kilimanjaro’s Safari – What an adventure! You’ll exit near The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful creatures in their natural habitats of grassy hills and calming waterfalls.
** NOTE: Magic Kingdom’s Tiana’s Bayou as well as EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy are not compatible with our class schedule. Students attending this course should be aware that joining the virtual queue for these attractions is not an option. **
** Please note 2: Due to special Holiday events at Magic Kingdom that take place at certain times of the year, it might not be possible to see the fireworks as part of our class schedule. You may choose to stay longer on Saturday to enjoy the fireworks on your own. (Class ends at 5PM and the fireworks show is not until 9PM.)
PRICE INCLUDES
– Tuition fees
– 3 x nights of Shared Room Accommodations at Comfort Suites Maingate East OR SIMILAR HOTEL. You will sleep in your own bed (can be a pull-out bed/sofa bed)
– 3 x continental breakfast
– Transportation to and from the theme parks
– All activities including park passes and Lightning Lanes to 3 theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot & Animal Kingdom
– Registration fees
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
– Airfare to/from Orlando, FL
– Airport transportation to/from hotel (it’s a 10 minute ride, Uber is currently around $60. You may want to coordinate with other au pairs in order to share the ride)
– Lunches & Dinners
ASSIGNMENTS & COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
In addition to the in-person meetings, this class will include pre-assignments and post-assignments as part of the 72-hour class.
You will be invited to join Google Classroom about a month before class starts, which is the platform we use for the course. Check your spam folder, as invitations to join Google Classroom sometimes end up there. Please make sure you register for the course with a valid email address, since this is where you will receive the invitation and later, your certificate. Your email has to be Google compatible, so it’s best to use gmail, outlook, hotmail or yahoo. If you do not receive a notification to join Google Classroom, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact us.
Pre-assignments will be posted on Google Classroom 3 weeks before class starts. Make sure you join Google Classroom early and complete the assignments BEFORE coming to class. It will take you approximately 18 hours to complete
Follow-up assignments will be posted on Google Classroom on the weekend of class, and also consist of 18 hours. You must complete them in order to receive your course completion certificate. Course completion certificates will be emailed to you, a few days after the class has officially ended. You will have 4 weeks to complete the assignments. If you need your certificate earlier, please indicate it during the registration process and upload proof. The earliest you can receive your certificate is ONE WEEK after in-person portion of class has concluded.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance IS MANDATORY all days during the class in Orlando. If you are late or leave early, your will risk not receiving your certificate. Please note, that this is a long weekend intensive class and the days are long. Bring comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, water & snacks. We expect you to come to class rested and ready to participate, learn and have fun!
SCHEDULE
DAY 1: 3:00PM – 8:00PM
DAY 2: 8:30AM – 10:30PM
DAY 3: 9:30AM – 10:30PM
DAY 4: 7:30AM – 5:00PM
** Detailed agenda, schedule and information will be shared on Google Classroom 2 weeks prior to class start date. All registered students will connect via WhatsApp, giving an opportunity to get to know each other before the trip and make plans to share a taxi from the airport.