Photo: Copyright Disney
1. Bummed that Disney World ticket prices went up yet again?
2. Traveling with at least one child between 5 and 18?
3. Wondering how you’re going to explain to the school that you’re taking your child out for a Walt Disney World vacation AGAIN?
4. Interested in Disney backstage tours but shell shocked by the prices?
5. Are your kids too young for some of the Disney tours?
If you answered Y.E.S. to at least one of my questions, read on!
As the school year draws to a close, I started to look into summer enrichment activities for my son. Naturally, all roads lead to Disney for my family. My soon-to-be first-grader is now old enough to participate in the Disney Youth Education Series (Y.E.S.) programs.
Disney Y.E.S. Program
The Disney Y.E.S. Program is a diverse set of educational programs offered by Disney. Homeschoolers and school and community groups were a natural fit for the program but there is also an Individual Enrollment option. As a mom who wholeheartedly believes in the educational value of Walt Disney World, my excitement bubbled up when I realized that participating in a Y.E.S. program could be a reality for my curious son.
The Details of Individual Enrollment Y.E.S. Programs.
Age. These programs are open for kindergarteners through high school seniors. Children younger than 13 years of age must be accompanied by an adult during the program. Older children must have an adult sign them in and be present in the theme park during the program.
Availability. The programs are available during select dates from June through October and they seem to fill up quickly. The programs my son is eligible for in October are already closed to new enrollments.
Disciplines. There’s no one-size fits all when it comes to student interests, strengths, and learning styles. Disney offers programs (many accredited) in Leadership & Careers, Arts & Humanities, Physical Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Learning comes alive for students through the study and demonstration of real world applications at the Most Magical Place on Earth..
Tickets. Special tickets are required for the Y.E.S. programs and I have some very good and some not so good news about them. I called the Youth Education program office and found out guests cannot purchase a ticket to the Youth Education Series program itself. Since Individual Enrollment for Y.E.S. is an educational program with backstage access, guest must purchase a minimum three-day theme park ticket package that includes one Y.E.S. program. This is not very welcome news for Annual Passholders or guests who wish to purchase a package that includes tickets. The really good news is that Y.E.S. ticket pricing is very favorable for families and options for Park Hopper or admission to water parks and DisneyQuest are available.
I, for one, cannot wait for 2013 registration to open . Hopefully my family will meet yours in the most fun classroom in the “World.”
For more information, visit http://www.disneyyouth.com/individual-enrollment/.
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.
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The teacher is IN! Way in!