french vs american lifestyle?
i'm getting a french student to stay with my family this august. what should i do/expect? what are some of the biggest cultural differences? have any of you ever hosted a foreign exchange student what are some helpful tips
well the biggest cultural i know is that they do take along time to eat food, that is true. mcdonald's and kfc haven't been successful in france at all, they take care with their food. apart from that, they are just like the rest of the western world. but don't change everything american, as they are coming over to experience america culture and their values.
i love that you decided to go big with the deluxe dining plan. if you're a foodie, you will appreciate the flexibility this plan offers. each night of your stay, everyone in your family will receive three meals and two snack credits. your three meals can either be quick-service or table-service. the main difference between the deluxe plan and the standard disney dining plan is the number of credits you receive (with the standard plan guests get one quick-service meal, one table-service meal, and two snacks). the only other distinction is the deluxe plan allows you to order an appetizer and dessert with your table-service meals, whereas the standard dining plan allows guests to order dessert, but no appetizer. otherwise, all guests order off the same exact menu. the only items that are not included on any of the dining plans would be menu add-ons, called enhancements. also, monsieur paul in epcot has an upcharge only if you decide to eat off their prix fixe menu. something else to note is that some restaurants are signature restaurants and will require the use of two table-service credits. guests on the deluxe plan often forgo one of their meals that day (usually breakfast) and use their two credits on a signature experience at one of the fine dining restaurants. my personal favorite is california grill. also worth noting is that beverage options are now available for all the disney dining plans, including nonalcoholic specialty beverages and, for guests 21 and older, beer, wine, and cocktails. hdavid57: 
the ugly truth is that we are not the same. the goal should be to better accept and appreciate our differences instead of trying to make everyone else into carbon copies of ourselves.
yes, and these differences are called culture. when i lived in spain, i often wondered how countries like germany and austria entered into a political and economic union with countries like spain and greece. they are simply too different.
i think the fact that american's are able to celebrate differences is one of the reasons why our country is so successful. kia ora fang and welcome to studyit!

there are some really solid points made in this essay and you have addressed the question throughout. your use and choice of quotations is good.

some of your points are a bit hard to follow. from your planning, i would strongly suggest that you plan to a greate… hi chrystal! those are wonderful locations to enjoy a hearty breakfast before adventuring out into the parks! you will be catching the bus from port orleans french quarter to each of your breakfast locations. the bus will usually make several stops within your resort, depending upon which bus stop location you will be using from your room location. also, realize that you may have to wait as long as 20 minutes to catch your bus, depending upon your timing of arrival at your stop. the buses generally begin running one hour before park opening each day, so check the park schedule. once everyone is loaded, the bus ride itself could last 10 to 30 minutes, or more, depending upon how many resort stops it makes. the routes are subject to change at any time, so i can't give you exact estimates on this. keep in mind that you will also have to go through the park entrance upon arrival, having your bags checked, ticket processed, etc...so allow enough time for that, as much as 30 minutes or more, although it could be much quicker, depending upon the crowd level for the day. most days, if you will allow yourself approximately one and a half hours of travel time, you will be fine! i recommend you check with a cast member at your resort for their recommendations, as well. they may be up to date on route changes, park times, etc... have a magical time! hi stacy, welcome to disney parks moms panel. glad to know that you are going to have a wonderful time with your family at wdw. i am used to travel with my in-laws, my parents, cousins, uncles and i am usually with a large group of family members. we’ve always stay each family in a separate room but all in the same resort. usually, we ask a cast member to put us all together. sometimes our room even had connecting doors. sometimes they could only give to us, rooms that are close to another, at least they were at the same building and floor. it’s best for privacy matters. you can check disney’s art of animation resort, because your sister will need a room that can accommodate five and they have a nice family suite that can sleep six. the other two families could stay in a standard room. the best way to explain exactly what you want is by calling the resort and speaking to a cast member. disney’s cast members are going to say that they cannot guarantee the things that you are requesting, but they will do their best to try to please you all. another great accommodating for you guys is the the cabins at disney’s fort wilderness resort. have a magical day! camila r. Language courses are generally a mix. Specially Spanish, which is a very diverse language. you will not earn more money in the usa (especially if you settle here). go to canada or australia for a better future * traveler's checks are not recommended, as most stores won't accept them, and banks and post offices with very long queues are the only places to cash them in. make sure you keep your cash and cards safe by following these simple **money** security tips. 4. know **how** to dress appropriately hi paulette,i have picked up some money saving tips during my travels to wdw (food being one of them!)....i will try and give you a few other options i have come across.magic kingdom: pecos bill café located in frontierland has a complimentary condiment bar (cosmic ray's has this too by the way!) where you can load up on additional items such as pan fried mushrooms, pan fried onions, tomatoes, pickles, etc...etc...when you purchase one of their meals. i normally order the hamburger which is quite large and load up on all of these extras, then my daughter and i will share...after all of these extras as well as fries to split it is more than enough for us.downtown disney: wolfgang puck's express has quite an extensive menu (express style) and we love their pizza's. these are easily shared in my opinion and offer many different variations of toppings (we will have one that we share and 1/2 will be ordered with what i would like and the other half with cheese only, what my daughter loves!). they also offer chicken, pasta, salads, etc...coronado springs resort: the pepper market is my all time favorite quick service restaurant where you actually have a server bring you your beverages and clear your table but you go up to the marketplace, order your own meal and can choose between many (and i mean many!) different stations. they offer mexican, wok kitchen, deli station, grill station (1/2 rotisserie chicken with fries...love this!), pizza (larger sizes), etc...as well as their bakery station...yum! there is always leftovers to take home here or you could certainly share!i have run out of space, so i suggest you try these and look at what other people order, what the proportions look like at other locations as well as extras (such as complimentary condiment bars, etc...). i am sure you will have luck finding many more options! best wishes,brigitta excess baggage on your flight home is often the best, most practical, and almost cheapest option, depending on airline. for postal service which is usually the cheapest, there is maximum size / weight restriction. for sea freight, you have to find a freight forwarder, usually located somewhere outside tourist area. you have to pay for pick up, or deliver the bags yourself to the forwarder. there is also the issue of minimum charge, additional packaging, ...