New Book about WDW College Program

[Bravesfn1]

I heard of new book that has been written about the WDW College Program. It's called "Mousecatraz" and it looks to be interesting. I have not read it, but I am considering purchasing it. Check out the book's website at www.mousecatraz.com What do you guys think?

 

[Tigger1988]

Interesting, im reading the preview of the book from the website now.

 

[JimboJones123]

Looks like a lot of fun. My bro did CP. Hated it while there. Missed it like crazy when he left. Guess we don't know how good we have it in life sometimes.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Looks like a lot of fun. My bro did CP. Hated it while there. Missed it like crazy when he left. Guess we don't know how good we have it in life sometimes.

Methinks he's hit the nail on the head! :sohappy:

 

[kag1984]

From what I read on the preview page it doesn't sound all that interesting to me. It sounds like a bunch of really, really short stories thrown together, like one or two sentences. My feelings are that if you are going to write a story about the cp experience tell me a story... not one liners. I don't know if the people the author interviewed just didn't relay their experiences very well, or if the author wasn't good at interviewing. Just my $0.02

 

[CrashNet]

You probably did hit the nail on the head for a lot of people actually. The CP is all about what you are wanting and expecting from it versus what you actually get. A lot of CPers go down there expecting a semester off from school and parties every day, all day. The CP is work. Its life. And sometimes, it has its bad moments. But nothing is ever perfect. If anything the bad moments are a learning process, and besides, the many many good ones do more than cover them up.

My feeling, based on being an alumni myself and actually seeing it firsthand, is more than half of CPers go down expecting an easy ride and parties everyday, but get shellshocked when they find out they have to work a lot and deal with thousands of guests a day, some of which aren't the most pleasant people to work with. If you take it for what it is, you'll come out loving it, missing it always, and remembering all the fun you had. If you take it for what it is and how its different from what you wanted it to be, I can definetly see you leaving very disappointed.

There's a reason why they say "look to your left, look to your right. One of the people on either side of you won't be here when the program ends." I had a roommate on each side of me. Both good buddies of mine now, but one more than the other.

The one on my right left 2 months into the program.

 

[MicBat]

You probably did hit the nail on the head for a lot of people actually. The CP is all about what you are wanting and expecting from it versus what you actually get. A lot of CPers go down there expecting a semester off from school and parties every day, all day. The CP is work. Its life. And sometimes, it has its bad moments. But nothing is ever perfect. If anything the bad moments are a learning process, and besides, the many many good ones do more than cover them up.

My feeling, based on being an alumni myself and actually seeing it firsthand, is more than half of CPers go down expecting an easy ride and parties everyday, but get shellshocked when they find out they have to work a lot and deal with thousands of guests a day, some of which aren't the most pleasant people to work with. If you take it for what it is, you'll come out loving it, missing it always, and remembering all the fun you had. If you take it for what it is and how its different from what you wanted it to be, I can definetly see you leaving very disappointed.

There's a reason why they say "look to your left, look to your right. One of the people on either side of you won't be here when the program ends." I had a roommate on each side of me. Both good buddies of mine now, but one more than the other.

The one on my right left 2 months into the program.

Couldn't have said it any better myself! It's all what you make of it.

 

[Mr Bill]

I just read the preview for this book, and I'm pretty much sold on it. I'm entering my senior year of high school this year and already have full intention of participating in the CP at some point in college.

 

[Tigger1988]

I just read the preview for this book, and I'm pretty much sold on it. I'm entering my senior year of high school this year and already have full intention of participating in the CP at some point in college.

Me too! haha :wave:

 

[ClemsonTigger]

While the preview promises good, bad, surprising....
With a title like Mousecatraz....just sounds a little biased from the get go...I don't have any strong desire to read this one...but it probably would be interesting to give some perspective for those considering the program.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

My friend wrote that book. I can't wait to read it!!

 

[Tigger1988]

While the preview promises good, bad, surprising....
With a title like Mousecatraz....just sounds a little biased from the get go...I don't have any strong desire to read this one...but it probably would be interesting to give some perspective for those considering the program.

The "Mousecatraz" title is in no way suggesting that Disney property is a bad place to live, work, or play

-from the book preview, so I don't think its very biased

 

[darthjohnny]

They do say the College Program kids are treated like slaves.

 

[Mad Stitch]

...half of CPers go down expecting an easy ride and parties everyday...

That’s how I’d describe my experience. I still consider the CP months the best time of my life, and that was eleven years ago.

 

[Bravesfn1]

While the preview promises good, bad, surprising....
With a title like Mousecatraz....just sounds a little biased from the get go...I don't have any strong desire to read this one...but it probably would be interesting to give some perspective for those considering the program.

That was not the author's intention at all, to be biased against Disney. Read the Q and A with the author on the site. You will be pleased with what he says.

 

[CrashNet]

-from the book preview, so I don't think its very biased

I think this is a "judge a book by its cover" example. I think what he was going for was that if you looked at just the title alone, you would think it was a negative look at the CP program.

 

[STGRhost]

The "Mousecatraz" title is in no way suggesting that Disney property is a bad place to live, work, or play

:veryconfu Then why call it that? Why would someone see that title, on that cover, and think anything else?


(I know, I know...to generate sales. Which is fine, but the author shouldn't turn around and act like it's anything other than that. Own it, for gosh sakes.)

ETA: Wow. I hope the author is not the same person who wrote the preview. I can't see paying $12.95 for writing that poor.

 

[RockStarBaby]

For those who have done the CP, what year in school did you go and also what was yoru major??

 

[Mad Stitch]

:veryconfu Then why call it that? Why would someone see that title, on that cover, and think anything else?

Back in my day Mousecatraz was the nickname for Vista Way. Vista Way was where ALL the CP students lived, hence the name of the book. It got that name because there was a drainage ditch/river around the site which we called the moat, a 12 ft. high cast iron fence along the edge of the moat, and the only way in or out was through the entrance with a guard house.

 

[STGRhost]

Back in my day Mousecatraz was the nickname for Vista Way. Vista Way was where ALL the CP students lived, hence the name of the book. It got that name because there was a drainage ditch/river around the site which we called the moat, a 12 ft. high cast iron fence along the edge of the moat, and the only way in or out was through the entrance with a guard house.

Ah, well, back in ~my~ day ( ), I think the most common nickname was "Vista Lay". It certainly wouldn't (didn't?) occur to me to associate Alcatraz with my College Program.

I dunno, I guess I wonder who the author's target audience is - does he expect most readers to get that reference? Or is he going for a more sensational/scandalous title in the hope that, by the time the average reader igures out what the book is really about, they will already have spent the money?

It occurs to me, too, that I'm quite possibly making a bigger deal out of this topic that it is. Whatever - it was a long day...:hammer: