Housing & DORMS

"When I get home I shall write a book about this place... If I ever do get home." -Alice

 

Home Sweet Home!

You mean we aren't going to be housed in Cinderella's castle? Ok, that's it! I'm going to have to drop out of the program. Joke, but in all seriousness, Disney one ups 90% of all other internships, because they provide a nice homey/dorm style housing for their CPs, complete with furnishings and even flatware & dishes. We will be living with people from all over the country & from around the world, which is one of the things I am most looking forward to. Disney offers two to four-bedroom apartments & typically accommodates two people per room, but it could be three people. Bedrooms with three participants include a single bed and a bunk bed.

Today I got my-email from DORMS- or Disney Online Resident Management System.

There was a TON of confusion on the way Disney does the whole housing thing, so I decided I would take screenshots for you guys & show you all just how it is (at least for the Spring 2016 DCP).

The first page is a Participant Profile Page, where you give basic information about yourself (name, number, permanent address, email, etc.) It will also ask for a good amount of information on your car if you are bringing it with you so make sure you have all of that information ready. The next page is a Housing Program Vehicle Decal Agreement, where you just initial that you understand what is being asked of you. After that you have to agree to 3 more documents about housing procedures. Finally you get to the fun stuff! Roommate selection & housing preferences!

I would recommend having one of the roommates as the designated person to link everyone and select the housing preferences. The first one on will enter the roommate numbers of the people you all want to live with (up to 8 total, we choose 4). This will send an e-mail to the linked roommates and once they complete the above steps they can agree to the links, or unlink if they wish. Here is a screenshot of what the linked page looks like:

Here is a complete list of prices for Spring 2016:

After you link the roommates, the housing preferences pops up. You can drag and prioritize whichever complex and room size preferences you would like. This is not a guaranteed selection. Also, it provides you with an updated pricing model for all each of the units. We discussed what way beforehand what complex we wanted and got everything in order so when we got the ok to input our decision we knew what we wanted. One person is to set up the order. The linked roommates can change the order, but I do not know how it affects your chances of getting preferred rooms. Here is what that page looks like:

 

 

Ok, so now I will go over the options for housing and floor plans/ prices for each! *Disclaimer: this is a collection of info I have gathered from about 10 different sites/ blogs so I'm not guaranteeing that the info is 100% accurate, but it is the best I could find* Housing costs range from $93 to $122 per week depending on the size of the apartment (2016) and which apartment complex a participant is assigned to live in during his or her Program. Apartments have two to four bedrooms (with two or three participants in each bedroom). Disney also does a great job getting all of its residents involved & networking by offering movie nights, welcome events, scavenger hunts, trips to local entertainment venues, talent shows, Grocery BINGO, and much more!

 

Vista Way:
The units: Each room in Vista has 2 beds, and they offer 2 or 3 bedrooms per suite (total of 4 or 6 people per suite). In this complex, there are no private balconies like in the other complexes. In a 3 bedroom (6 person) apartment, 1 bedroom will have its own bathroom while the 2 remaining bedrooms must share a bathroom with a sink in the hallway. So 2 people get their own bathroom, while the other 4 share a bathroom and vanity. The 2 bedroom units will have 2 full bathrooms.


Amenities:
*two  pools            * basketball court
*fitness center       * two hot tubs
*sand volleyball     * bus HQ- which 
*tennis court             makes it easy to
*pool table                get around
*tennis court         * laundry in every
                                 building


Positives: The main bus hub is located here, so those relying on the DCP buses will find this complex a little more convenient. It also with walking distance to some shops and restaurants. This is the only complex with movie rentals- hey Disney movie marathon! There are computer labs and a few classes with be held in this complex.

Negatives: This is the party complex. Vista Lay as legend has it. Many apartments parties are held in this complex (be careful of under 21 drinkers). This complex is really, really old and the insides of the apartments will have a bit of ware and tare. However,  renovations did started in 2011 & should be in better shape. The walls are thin, and you can sometimes hear your neighbors.

 

Pricing:

These are subject to change, but the most updated information I have is:

*2 Bedrooms (4 people) - $110/person - 2 Bathrooms
*3 Bedrooms (6 people) - $101/person - 2 Bathrooms

Chatham Square:
The units: Each room has 2 or 3 beds per room (the ones with 3 consist of a bunk bed & one regular bed) and you can get 1, 2, 3 or 4 bedroom suites (2, 3, 6, or 8 people per suite). The 4 bedroom units have 2.5 bathrooms, so 1 room (2 people) have a private bathroom & the other 2 bedrooms (4 people) share a full bathroom and sink located in the hallway. The 3 bedroom units have 3 bathrooms. The 2 bedroom units have 1 bath connected to one room, and other full bathroom through a hallway (still 2 people/bath).
Amenities:
* Pool
* Sand Volleyball
* Pool Table
* Computer Lab
* Tennis Court
* Fitness Center
* Near Mickey's Retreat!

Positives: Across the street from Mickey's Retreat, where you can rent canoes, paddle boats, and sports equipment for a couple hours. It is for cast members only. It has sand volleyball, 2 pools, basketball courts, soccer nets, BBQ grill and tennis courts. It also has a bus stop at the front of the housing center, making it convenient to get to work quickly and on time if you don't have a car! It has a nice pool & fitness center. Also, if you are taking a class, this is where they are likely to be held.

Negatives: The laundry is more spread out. There are laundry machines in buildings 2, 7, 15, and 19 and the machines take debit or credit cards. However, you can sign up for text alerts by going to this site in order to know when your wash or dry cycle is done.  If your unfavorable to noise, majority of the housing events take place here, so it can be loud during housing events. Also, this is a little farther away from public transport, to get around Orlando.

Pricing:
* 1 Bedroom (2 people) - $120 - 1 Bathroom
* 1 Bedroom (3 people) - $105 - 1 Bathroom

* 2 Bedrooms (6 people) - $93 - 2 Bathrooms (1 Bedroom is private/ 1 Bathroom is connected bedroom & hallway)

* 3 Bedrooms (6 people) - $107 - 3 Bathrooms

* 4 Bedrooms (8 people)- $106 - 2.5 Bathrooms (2 Bedrooms Share Bath/ Half Bath in Hallway)

 

Patterson Court:

The units: Each room has 2 or 3 beds per room and you can get 1, 2, or 3 bedroom suites (2, 3, 5 or 6 people per suite). In each, there are 1, 2, or 3 bathrooms respectively. So, just 2 people per bathroom. These bedrooms are known to be a bit larger than the other complexes. There are nice balconies for this complex as well.

Amenities:
* fitness center
* pool
* pool table

Positives: Mickey's Retreat is just down the street (this complex is right next to Chatham). This is the newest complex, so many think it is the nicest. The closets are larger, so this is good option if you plan on bringing a lot of clothing and personal items. This is within walking distance to shops, restaurants and public city transportation. There is also a bus stop for the iTrolley and Lynx city bus. This great if you want to get out more & don't have a car and want to visit Universal. The is pool is very nice. Newer appliances and amenities.

Negatives: There are only four laundry facilities, which take debit or credit cards. Similar to Chatham's laundry, you can sign up for text alerts by going to this site in order to know when your wash or dry cycle is done. Also, they do not have their own bus stop to get to work, so if you are not taking your car, then it is a bit of a walk to Chatham (about 15 minutes). It has fewer amenities than the other complexes. It is also the most expensive.

Pricing: 
* 1 Bedroom (2 people) - $120 - 1 Bedroom - 1 Bathrooms
* 1 Bedroom (3 people) - $105 - 1 Bedroom - 1 Bathrooms
* 2 Bedrooms (5 people) - $100 - 2 Bedrooms - 2 Bathrooms
* 3 Bedrooms (6 people)- $107 - 3 Bedrooms - 3 Bathrooms

 

 

The Commons:

The units: Every unit has a balcony. There are 2 or 3 people per room (the ones with 3 consist of a bunk bed & one regular bed), and you can get 1, 2, 3, or 4 bedroom suites (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 people). The one bedroom gets one bathroom. The two bedroom gets 1.5 bathrooms. One of the rooms has an on-suite vanity/sink, they other bedroom uses the vanity in the bathroom & all 4 people share the shower and toilet. The 4 bedroom (8 people) share 2.5 bathrooms. This complex also has balconies!

Amenities:
* Pool
* Fitness center
* Computer center
* Sand volleyball court
* Tennis courts

* Little grocery store

Positives: Mickey's Retreat is behind The Commons. The hands-down best attribute to this complex is that every unit has its OWN washer & dryer! There is also a bus stop for the iTrolley and Lynx city bus. This great if you want to get out more & don't have a car. The bathrooms & closets are a bit larger.

Negatives: There is a bus stop at the Commons, however it is alleged some of the buses will not stop at the Commons, unless someone requests it. Only 6 busses go to The Commons (C Bus - EPCOT, F Bus - Typhoon Lagoon/Downtown Disney, J Bus - Animal Kingdom/Animal Kingdom Lodge/ World Wide Sports, E Bus - Hollywood Studios/BoardWalk/Yatch&Beach, Fantasia Mini Golf/Dolphin & Swan, M Bus - FloridaMall, and the H Bus - Walgreens/Walmart/Publix/Post Office.)

Pricing:
* 1 Bedroom, 2 people - $124 -1 Bathroom

* 1 Bedroom, 3 people - $109 - 1 Bathroom
* 2 Bedrooms, 4 people - $122 - 1.5 Bathrooms
* 2 Bedrooms, 5 people - $102 - 2 Bathrooms
* 3 Bedrooms, 6 people - $110 - 3 Bathrooms
* 4 Bedrooms, 8 people - $109 - 2.5 Bathrooms 2 Rooms Share Bath/ Half Bath in Hallway)

Some other details about housing:
* You'll receive your address and phone number upon your arrival, as well as the name of your company-sponsored housing complex.
* The complexes do not have Resident Assistants, but we do have a front desk at each housing complex, as well as a Housing Programs Office and Disney Service Center, to assist you with any questions or concerns during your Program.
* Upon acceptance of the internship into the program, each participant must pay a total of $350 (the Program Assessment Fee and Housing and Administration Fee.)
* Visiting hours are from 7AM to 1AM for non-program participants AND program participants UNLESS you live in the SAME housing complex. Quiet hours are from 7AM to 1AM for all COMPLEXES. For example, Chatham residents can visit each other after 1AM (of course you must be considerate of others). Patterson residents can visit each other. However, Chatham CANNOT visit Patterson residents after 1AM.


RESOURCE & IMAGES

(http://disneycollegeprogrammagic.blogspot.com/2012/10/college-program-housing.html) (https://disneyprogramsblog.com/dorms/)(http://www.wdwip.com/wiki/The_Living_Experience)(http://hannahsdcp.blogspot.com/2014/07/disney-college-program-apartments.html)

***I got a ton of great info from this blog so check it out for some more/ different information on housing :)***