Fall/Spring VS Fall Advantage/Spring Advantage

This is going to be a very brief post on the difference between advantage programs and the normal programs. Basically advantage programs last longer, and go through the summer. Spring just goes through spring, fall just goes through fall. Spring advantage arrives with the spring CPs, but they will work trough the summer rather than going home around May. Fall advantage CPs arrive early, around May/June, but leave with the fall CPs. Fall CPs arrive throughout August and the first week of September.

The pros to doing an advantage program (let's just call these FA and SA for the sake of me being lazy) is that you are there longer, you get to experience all the cool summer only festivities (LIKE STAR WARS WEEKENDS), and there's no FOMO from your friends all being together at college. (FOMO for those of you who don't know stands for Fear Of Missing Out.) People don't usually think about this, but when you're the only one not at school, and all your friends are together taking cute pictures and going on spring break together or whatever, you feel a little left out. For all of 3 seconds before you remember you're living at Disney World ;)

The cons to doing FA/SA is the awful summer Florida weather: rain, humidity, heat. You also have to deal with a busy time for the parks, and more of your guest passes are blocked out, so there's less availability for friends and family to visit for free. I personally think FA > SA because for FA you're super excited since you get to show up before all the other fall CPs, and learn the ropes early. SA you're at the end of your program and all your friends and coworkers are leaving to go home, and you're still committed to stay. This could be awesome if you love your role, but many people hit homesicknesses at this point. I would rather do the normal spring program, and if I love it, extend my program.

So to sum up my personal opinion (obviously everyone has a different opinion/experience) is that I would pick fall advantage over fall, but spring over spring advantage.

I hope this post has been helpful to those of you who were confused over the differences of the four programs :) I'll put in an approximate schedule for date with FA/F/SA/S.

FA: Arrive in May/June, stay through early January.
Fall: Arrive in August/September, stay through early January.
SA: Arrive in January/February, stay through August.
Spring: Arrive in January/February. stay through May.