An introduction to Disney housing (and housing myths debunked)

(Note: Several days after I originally wrote this post, housing announced that they were bringing bunk beds into some of the rooms, therefore making some of them triple-occupancy rather than double-occupancy.  I have no experience with this new arrangement as it just happened, but this information is still accurate for any rooms not affected.)

Housing is always a big topic for any person living away from their family for school, work or whatever - and the Disney College Program is no exception.  Even more so, since the complexes are gated and there are no orientations or anything to help you understand the different complexes better most go into their first CP totally blind or with limited/false information about the differences between them.  I know I definitely did on my last program, and though it didn't cause any trouble with me I wished I had been told more about it going in.  So here we go - for those of you who are new to the whole Disney housing thing I will try my best to give you as much information as possible (and avoid giving opinions, bias or hearsay).  I'll also write down a few myths that I've heard from other CPs, people on the internet and even cast members.

Vista Way

Source: ageeksaga.blogspot.com

 Pros

1. Easy access to main DCP offices, tennis courts, pools, restaurants and Walgreens
2. Bus stop is right inside the complex and is the stop that bus drivers switch at, so you won't be stuck waiting to get to work/your apartment
3. Closest complex to WDW property
4. Cheapest rent of all four complexes

Cons

1. Complex borders a loud, heavily tourist-y area and two major roads
2. Being the oldest of the four complexes means that the apartments can look somewhat dated
3. Its reputation can be somewhat uncomfortable to deal with

Vista Way is the oldest Disney housing complex, and as a result has most of the main offices for College Program functions.  It's also the largest, and walking in without knowing where you're going or a map can be disastrous.  Thankfully, other people can always be found around to show you the way.  Check in for each new program date is always held at Vista Way, which is why your dash will always show the address once you've sorted out your acceptance.  No, it does not mean that you will have to stay at Vista!

Besides that, anyone who has read anything about Disney housing knows that Vista has a rather... colorful reputation.  Is it deserved?  Well, that'll be discussed in the myths section below. Until then...

Chatham Square

Pros

1. Beautiful complex with some nice landscaping
2. Most housing events are hosted in Chatham
3. Little Lake Bryan is a nice area to live in
4. Has a bus stop close by and is right across the street from Mickey's Retreat

Cons

1. Difficult to get an apartment in sometimes since it is so highly requested
2. Housing events may make the area noisy
3. Complex is large and somewhat confusing

Chatham Square is probably the most-sought after housing complex for CPs.  It's considered to be the middle-of-the-road complex in terms of price (though in recent years the complexes have become more or less equal) and hosts a majority of the housing events. It is also a bit smaller than Vista, though certainly not a small complex by any means.  Probably the best things about this complex is that the bus stop is just outside the security gate and the complex is right across the street from Mickey's Retreat, an outdoor recreational area for cast members.

However, all these benefits also make it difficult to successfully get an apartment in Chatham.  In addition, rent is slightly more expensive than at Vista, so if you're on a super strict budget this (and the other complexes) may not be for you.

Patterson Court

Pros

1. Newest of the four complexes with very lovely buildings inside and out
2. Within walking distance of a strip mall including a Publix (grocery store) and a UPS Store
3. Relatively small complex means short exit to leave the complex

Cons

1. No bus stop of its own so you'll have to walk to Chatham's (about ten minutes away)
2. Has a reputation of being "too quiet"

Patterson Court, as I said in an earlier blog post, is where I stayed on my last program.  (This photo, in fact, is the building that my apartment was in - you can see it on the first floor.)  It's a lovely place if you like peace and quiet while trying to sleep, and is now just about the same price as Chatham to stay in. Not only that, but the pool is my favorite of the complexes' pools.

However, it also comes with some downsides.  Patterson has no bus stop of its own, and the closest one is ten minutes away at Chatham.  Though this isn't a huge walk, it does add time to an already long commuting time if you're taking the buses.  In addition, though the people who live here can be lively the complex tends to be quieter than the others - most likely because of the lack of housing events or anything else that would attract anyone outside of Patterson residents.

The Commons

Source: 365daysatdisneyworld.blogspot.com

Pros

1.  Washers and dryers are included in the apartments - no paying for laundry
2. Bus stop is located right inside the gates
3. The Premium Outlets are located right across the street, about a five minute walk away
4. A lot of ICPs and Cultural Representatives live here, which allows for a lot of interesting cultural exchanges

Cons

1.  Not all buses pick up at the bus stop - including the bus for Magic Kingdom
2. The complex can sometimes be noisy
3. Highest rent out of all four complexes

Up until a short while ago the Commons was only open to those coming from different countries to be International College Program students or Cultural Representatives.  However, it's now been opened up to any CP regardless of country of origin, provided there's enough space.  This complex is special because it's the only one that has washers and dryers in every unit - anywhere else you have to go to a common laundry room and pay to wash your stuff.

This big perk comes with one big downside - rent at the Commons is higher than anywhere else by least a few bucks a week.  This doesn't sound like a lot, but if you're not making much a week it can eat into the money you have to buy groceries and anything else you might need or want.  Then again, laundry fees can eat away  at that cash too.

All right, so there's the facts.  But what about those little rumors you keep hearing around?  Some are just silly little stories, but I've seen some get blown way out of proportion and even cause someone to choose/not choose a complex based on them alone.  So here are some of the most common ones I've heard, with the truth (or at least as close to the truth as I know):

1. Vista is for partiers, Patterson is a retirement home.  Anyone who has ever lived in a college dorm knows that these types of labels are silly - any place where large groups of young people live together is bound to be noisy no matter what the individuals are like.  Not only that, but any building can get a loud person no matter what it's "supposed" to be like.  Does Vista attract people who like to party?  Maybe, especially people who live by those labels.  But then again, you're just as likely to find quiet people at Vista as you are noisy people in Patterson.
2. If you have items that are banned in housing, just put them in your car.  Whether it's weapons or unauthorized guests or booze (for Wellness CPs), you can't have it on housing's property at all.  Security can and will search your car if they see a need to (and supposedly they randomly search cars too, though I've never seen it happen personally).  If you're caught with any of that stuff, consider yourself and your program in deep trouble.  Yes, some rules don't make sense and some are far too strict - but you agree to follow them when you enter housing, and it's not worth getting sent home over something so silly.
3. Housing is owned by Disney.  As far as I've been told, Disney doesn't even own the land the complexes are on - instead it's a partnership with another company (it was called Lincoln as of my last program there, though on yours it may well be different) and they own everything.  Disney cast members do work in the DCP-related offices, though, so they are around.
4. It's possible to get a white-glove award by schmoozing/baking for the inspectors/etc.  For those of you who don't know what a white glove award is, it's essentially the highest rating you can get on a housing inspection (which happens every month) and usually involves a prize of some sort, like cookies.  However, there's really no rhyme or reason to getting white glove over simply passing, and it's completely up to the inspectors which one they give you.
5. The older the complex, the nastier the rooms are. Again, anyone who's ever lived in some form of temporary housing such as a college dorm knows this isn't always true.  The condition of the apartment depends solely on how well the CPs before you have treated it, and you can find a nice, well-kept apartment in Vista just as easily as you can find a disgusting one in Patterson.
6. People have wild parties/sexual escapades/[insert other crazy story here] all over Disney housing. This one's a bit harder to discuss accurately.  Naturally, I don't know everything that ever went on in every housing complex during my program.  However, for those of you thinking that the wild stories you've heard are common occurrences - they're not.  They're not any more than they are on most college campuses, where the crazy stories often get circulated for far longer than they need to be.  Is it very possible that they have happened before?  Possibly.  But don't let the stories make you think that they happen on an average day.
7. Some CPs steal laundry.  Unfortunately, this does happen - though I can't say how often.  Sometimes it's an honest mistake, where someone will mistake your laundry for theirs (and with all the costumes that go through laundry, it makes sense) but others... yeah.  Should you be freaking out every time you put a load in?  No, but keeping a close eye on it is always a good thing.  In fact, that's something you should always be doing when doing laundry in a shared space.
8. The apartments come equipped with wireless internet.  Close but not quite - your apartment has internet access but in order to have a wireless network you'll need to purchase a router of your own for the apartment.

These are all the main ones I've heard, but if you know any others you'd like me to address let me know and I'll add them to the list!  Until then, I hope this helps with the great housing debate.