Questions

[Keda]

I am interested in living in Chatham with 7 roomies. I read somewhere that the 4 bedrooms has two refrigerators. Is that true?

I get lazy sometimes and really don't want to cook. Is there food places that delivers?

[smkohn]

Yup, they just started using 2 fridges in the 4 bedrooms, I was in a 4 br room at Chatham for the spring '09 program and halfway through they gave us another fridge :cool1: it really made a world of difference. I'm pretty sure that there's pizza places and whatnot that deliver, but there's also always the option of walking over to on of the restaurants by the outlet malls or getting on a bus to crossroads/eating at the parks. I was also kind of lazy with cooking which made microwavable meals some of my best friends :laughing:

[Disney_Princess_89]

keep in mind that the apartments don't allow deliveries to the door- you have to meet them outside the security gate.

[epfootballcutie04]

There are pizza places that deliver and you do have to meet them out by security. Otherwise there are a bunch of good restaurants within a short drive or short bus ride to crossroads like the other poster mentioned.

And the second fridge was a miracle. Unless you have lived with 7 other people all trying to share a fridge, you just don't understand what an amazing thing it was when they installed the 2nd one. :banana:

[Keda]

Thanks for the replys guys

[Loves Disney]

I had a 4-bedroom apartment in Chatham for the Spring Advantage '09 program and we had to use the one fridge they had...we continuously failed the fridge portion of inspections because all of us 8 girls keep a decent amount of food. It was ridiculous how they inspected our fridges. We had that thing sooo organized but because they couldn't see the shelves, we'd fail! They eventually brought in a second full sized fridge. It was AMAZING! With 8 girls living off of frozen dinners, yogurts, and other quick snacks/meals, having two fridges saved us. So yeah, every 4-bedroom apartment has 2 full-sized refrigerators.

Also, we ordered from Dominos quite a bit haha. It was tedious having to go out to the security gate for the food, but we didn't live too far from it so it wasn't that bad. We also ate out a lot in the parks and at crossroads. You'll find yourself buying easy meals though...after coming home from long shifts, you don't really feel like going out anywhere and you start looking for whatever you have around the apartment.

[bgirl781]

There are room inspections?

[Sorahana]

There are room inspections?

Yes there are. Two of them are announced (one toward the beginning of your program and one toward the end of the program), they can also conduct them without warning (If you were Spring, Fall, or Summer Alumni program).
They explain the details of it at your housing meeting when you get to FL =).

[Loves Disney]

Yes there are. Two of them are announced (one toward the beginning of your program and one toward the end of the program), they can also conduct them without warning.
They explain the details of it at your housing meeting when you get to FL =).

Being there for the Spring Advantage, we had 3 official inspections. One was in the summer. So depending on how long you're there for, you could have 2 or 3.

[epfootballcutie04]

Being there for the Spring Advantage, we had 3 official inspections. One was in the summer. So depending on how long you're there for, you could have 2 or 3.

I was spring advantage and I had 4. The last one was just before we left though. Like a week or two before we moved out. Depending on your inspection team, you could easily pass or easily fail. We never had a surprise inspection. Ours only ever came on the date they were posted.

A couple of our inspections were easy and we passed with flying colors, the last one though, we passed, but they made us change things while they were there watching us do it and it just so happened to be in our roommates room that wasn't home so we were like "sorry, but they made us do it!" :goodvibes

[Sorahana]

I was spring advantage and I had 4. The last one was just before we left though. Like a week or two before we moved out. Depending on your inspection team, you could easily pass or easily fail. We never had a surprise inspection. Ours only ever came on the date they were posted.

A couple of our inspections were easy and we passed with flying colors, the last one though, we passed, but they made us change things while they were there watching us do it and it just so happened to be in our roommates room that wasn't home so we were like "sorry, but they made us do it!" :goodvibes

We always passed ours, but we would always get an F for the bathrooms (mildew=evil in Florida no matter how much we'd clean those bathrooms).

[Keda]

How do they determine if you need an extra refigerator? In the inspections what do they look for?

[Sorahana]

How do they determine if you need an extra refigerator? In the inspections what do they look for?

Not sure about the fridge, but in regards to what they look for during inspection...

-that the apartment is clean
-that you're following decorating rules for the apartments
-that everything is being kept in order
-that rules for the apartments are being followed

[epfootballcutie04]

they don't really determine if you need an extra fridge during inspections. they just gave all 4 bedroom apartments an extra one w/ another freezer. They probably had a lot of issues arising and maybe a lot of complaints or something. When you have 8 people all living off of microwaveable frozen dinners and pizzas and stuff... one small freezer just isn't going to cut it most of the time.

Inspections were strict for a few of ours. We always passed overall, but like someone else said, our bathrooms always failed. I spent, literally, 2 hours scrubbing our shower the day before inspections one time and it still failed. Toilets are the worst they will lift up and look in every crease of the toilet. At least ours did, anyway.

The floors in your apartment have to be spotless. My bedroom floor failed once because my roomie left her sweater on the floor when she went to work. That was the only thing on the floor.

Other than that, you just have to make sure all floors (wood, tile or carpeted) are wiped down or vacuumed. That all surfaces are wiped down like counters and such. Nothing is all on the walls, etc. You will learn the guidelines regarding apartment rules and cleanliness at the housing meeting when you arrive.

It's not that bad. It's just a little annoying at times. Especially when you have an insepction team come into your apartment yelling "inspections!!! inspections!!!" at 8am when you worked until 2. :goodvibes

[Aiden]

they don't really determine if you need an extra fridge during inspections. they just gave all 4 bedroom apartments an extra one w/ another freezer. They probably had a lot of issues arising and maybe a lot of complaints or something. When you have 8 people all living off of microwaveable frozen dinners and pizzas and stuff... one small freezer just isn't going to cut it most of the time.

Inspections were strict for a few of ours. We always passed overall, but like someone else said, our bathrooms always failed. I spent, literally, 2 hours scrubbing our shower the day before inspections one time and it still failed. Toilets are the worst they will lift up and look in every crease of the toilet. At least ours did, anyway.

The floors in your apartment have to be spotless. My bedroom floor failed once because my roomie left her sweater on the floor when she went to work. That was the only thing on the floor.

Other than that, you just have to make sure all floors (wood, tile or carpeted) are wiped down or vacuumed. That all surfaces are wiped down like counters and such. Nothing is all on the walls, etc. You will learn the guidelines regarding apartment rules and cleanliness at the housing meeting when you arrive.

It's not that bad. It's just a little annoying at times. Especially when you have an insepction team come into your apartment yelling "inspections!!! inspections!!!" at 8am when you worked until 2. :goodvibes

Because a sweater was on the floor?? That's ridiculous!

[Loves Disney]

I was spring advantage and I had 4. The last one was just before we left though. Like a week or two before we moved out. Depending on your inspection team, you could easily pass or easily fail. We never had a surprise inspection. Ours only ever came on the date they were posted.

A couple of our inspections were easy and we passed with flying colors, the last one though, we passed, but they made us change things while they were there watching us do it and it just so happened to be in our roommates room that wasn't home so we were like "sorry, but they made us do it!" :goodvibes

Maybe we had 4, I could be wrong lol. We, too, never had any surprise inspections - to be honest, I'm pretty sure the "surprise inspections" are only done when another roommate gives them a reason to inspect the apartments. We also had individual inspections...what I mean is, we had a few new roommates throughout the course of the program and they would come in an inspect the apartment before the roommate came to make sure everything was okay. These were scheduled as well.

I HATED the inspections. We had a spotless vanity - nothing was on it, no toothbrushes, hairbrushes, absolutely nothing and we soaked soap in the sink, cleaned the mirrors, did everything and still failed that vanity. I still have hard feelings about that particular fail because there was no reason for it at all haha. We never failed the total inspection though which was good.

[epfootballcutie04]

yeah i'm fairly certain "surprise" inspections only occur if one of your roommates or 'friends' tells housing that there is certain stuff going on in the apartment. I've never heard of anyone just having a random inspection and not finding some sort of drugs or alcohol or weapon.

It may happen though. It's just a theory I have.

And... when we got new roommates, they did come in with a cleaning team and they cleaned our apartment for us! That was great! All they asked was that we kept it nice and clean until the roommate moved in :goodvibes Just like you, they were always scheduled for us and we normally got a day or two notice.

And yeah, i was serious about failing our floors b/c of the sweater. You'll notice when you're down there that some inspectors are really really strict and others don't seem to care as much. When our inspections occured there were teams that came in of like 5 or 6 so they only lasted a few minutes.

[Keda]

I read on a facebook page that Chatham is the only complex with 4 bedrooms. Is that true?

[MaryPoppins86]

I read on a facebook page that Chatham is the only complex with 4 bedrooms. Is that true?

no, all the apartment complexes have 1-4 bedrooms.

[Praise2Him]

Really? My DD was planning on staying in Patterson with 7 roommates, but they saw on FB that Patterson didn't have 4 bedrooms, so they are planning on splitting up into 2 rooms.
Anyone that lived in Patterson that can confirm there are 4 bedrooms?

[fall08CP]

no, all the apartment complexes have 1-4 bedrooms.

I don't think that's true.. yes for Chatham and Patterson, but I thought Vista only had 2 or 3 bedrooms. I could be wrong, but that's what my Vista friend told me.

[fall08CP]

yeah i'm fairly certain "surprise" inspections only occur if one of your roommates or 'friends' tells housing that there is certain stuff going on in the apartment. I've never heard of anyone just having a random inspection and not finding some sort of drugs or alcohol or weapon.

It may happen though. It's just a theory I have.


We had a surprise inspection :scared1: and trust me, my apartment was not suspicious at all. They decided to do an entire building totally by surprise. I was the only one home at the time and it was totally awkward. We passed though :)
We actually got the white glove award this summer! :goodvibes We did clean thoroughly but didn't expect to get it... they give us tons of candy and a special award letter plus our picture in the lobby, ha!

[epfootballcutie04]

I don't think that's true.. yes for Chatham and Patterson, but I thought Vista only had 2 or 3 bedrooms. I could be wrong, but that's what my Vista friend told me.

i know forsure chatham does have a 4 bedroom since I stayed in one. I'm glad to know Patterson does, too since that's where I want to stay for fall 2010 if I'm accepted.

I know forsure vista has a 3 bedroom. one of my best friends stayed there in a 3 bedroom. I don't like them, but i know they have them :goodvibes. I asked him if he knew if they had a 4 bedroom but he wasn't sure.

[Keda]

This is from facebook:

Jessica Fleenor just to let everyone know ther are NO four bedroom apartments in Vista or Patterson. i emailed housing about a four bedroom in Patterson to ask how many bathrooms it has and they said only Chatham has four bedrooms. so if you are planning to be in a four bedroom in Vista or Patterson you might have to make other arrangements....November 5 at 10:45am · Comment · Like / Unlike · Report

[Praise2Him]

Yes, my DD just told me that she actually called Patterson to ask and they don't have 4 bedrooms.

[epfootballcutie04]

yeah i just got confirmation that vista only goes up to 3 bedrooms and they didn't think patterson had 4 bedrooms either... soudns like it's all confirmed though :)

a 3 bedroom would be fine! I just don't want anything less than that! I loved living with a lot of roommates...

and don't 3 bedrooms have 3 bathrooms, too? that would be cool !

although... the second fridge did come in really handy!

[MaryPoppins86]

hmm, i could have been wrong. i know i've heard patterson had a 4 bedroom and chatham had a 4 bedroom (well at least that's what i've read/heard about them). i haven't been looking into vista too much. but i'll keep looking into it. but i'm glad people are correcting me. this way i learn.

one question though. does anyone know the number of bathrooms to bedroom ratio? does it vary by complex, or building? like i've heard that all the bedrooms at patterson each has it's own bath. don't know if that is true though.

[MaryPoppins86]

yeah i just got confirmation that vista only goes up to 3 bedrooms and they didn't think patterson had 4 bedrooms either... soudns like it's all confirmed though :)

a 3 bedroom would be fine! I just don't want anything less than that! I loved living with a lot of roommates...

and don't 3 bedrooms have 3 bathrooms, too? that would be cool !

although... the second fridge did come in really handy!

for me, i think i'd like to go for a 2 or 3 bedroom. and if each bdrm has it's own bath, that would just make my day. i like to be around people yet sometimes i just need that me time. 7 roommates is just too much for me. 1 roommate, i might feel too lonely and what if i don't get along with that one person.

ok another question: for former cp's, how big were the rooms in your apartment? like how much items were you actually able to place within the apartment especially your bedroom/closet and still have enough space to move about? for the kitchen, who brought what? did everyone bring/buy their plates and such or was there enough that disney supplied so no one had to buy any? oh and how much clothes did you pack and how much of it did you actually ended up wearing?
wow, i'm full of questions this morning. sorry about that. it's just that once i think of one, more questions pop into my head. i'd rather ask now or else i will forget.

[epfootballcutie04]

for me, i think i'd like to go for a 2 or 3 bedroom. and if each bdrm has it's own bath, that would just make my day. i like to be around people yet sometimes i just need that me time. 7 roommates is just too much for me. 1 roommate, i might feel too lonely and what if i don't get along with that one person.

ok another question: for former cp's, how big were the rooms in your apartment? like how much items were you actually able to place within the apartment especially your bedroom/closet and still have enough space to move about? for the kitchen, who brought what? did everyone bring/buy their plates and such or was there enough that disney supplied so no one had to buy any? oh and how much clothes did you pack and how much of it did you actually ended up wearing?
wow, i'm full of questions this morning. sorry about that. it's just that once i think of one, more questions pop into my head. i'd rather ask now or else i will forget.

I love questions :) I was full of them too, before I did my CP haha it's all good!!

I lived in a 4 bedroom apartment in Chatham and i loved the amount of room we had. Everyone that came in my apartment commented on the amount of space we had. The living room area was huge and, at times, almost felt too open. My roomies and I went out and purchased a couple bean bag chairs and such to help fill in some space... it helped a little and gave extra seating for when we hosted movie nights.

The bedrooms weren't THAT big. 2 twin size beds, two bed side tables and a dresser... I also had room for a TV tray table thing but besides that, and a floor fan we had, there wasn't much room. You can get creative though in decorating and you can rearrange the furniture to try and make it appear bigger...You can move around well in the rooms, but I wouldn't go hosting any parties in your bedroom haha. closet room, is a good amount. You share the closet with one other person and it is a walk in closet. Truth be told, you are in costume A LOT of the time. I didn't really realize how often it was until I got down there. I wouldn't pack too many clothes. I packed like 10-12 tshirts, a few dress shirts, a few pairs of jeans, some shorts, a couple long sleeved shirts, a couple sweatshirts and that was WAY too much. You also end up buying stuff while you're down there. Especially if you go to property control and Cast Connection... whether you want to or not, haha... it just happens. lol

For the kitchen... Ummm a roomie of mine brought a quesidilla maker which we all loved. I brought the magic bullet blender machine which was a hit... i eneded up buying a grilled sandwhich maker cheap at walmart... depending on your room size, you may want to bring or purchase a couple more pots and pans. I had a lot of roomies who didn't believe in doing dishes all of the time they used the pots and pans...

Ummm you get plates and silverware and all that, but if you use them, you find yourself constantly having to do the dishes, so I ended up just buying paper plates and plastic silverware. It was a lot easier to just throw it away.

I hope I helped some :-) If you have any other questions, just let me know!

[MaryPoppins86]

I love questions :) I was full of them too, before I did my CP haha it's all good!!

oOoOoOoOo thanks! that was really helpfull. wow, you only brought a few clothes and still didn't need much of it? i'm not big on packing so this will be perfect for me. on the kitchen stuff i think i'll just wait till i get there. i'll just see what everyone has and then contribute my own.

ok sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but is Publix a grocery store. i keep hearing about Publix and that's where a lot of people buy food. but with all the stores like Walmart & Target now selling food, i wasn't sure if it's like a Walmart type store or just a regular grocery store.

[sosmember]

ok sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but is Publix a grocery store. i keep hearing about Publix and that's where a lot of people buy food. but with all the stores like Walmart & Target now selling food, i wasn't sure if it's like a Walmart type store or just a regular grocery store.

Publix is a regular grocery store like Kroger, Big Bear, Giant Eagle etc. Publix and Sweetbay (used to be Kash n' Karry) are the two major grocery stores in Florida. Also of note to those of you who are over 21, due to liquor laws in Florida, grocery stores are typically prohibited from carrying hard liquor (and beer I think) so you will often see a liquor store right next door (often attatched) to the grocery store under the same name. Example: Publix Liquor Store. :rotfl2:

[epfootballcutie04]

oOoOoOoOo thanks! that was really helpfull. wow, you only brought a few clothes and still didn't need much of it? i'm not big on packing so this will be perfect for me. on the kitchen stuff i think i'll just wait till i get there. i'll just see what everyone has and then contribute my own.

ok sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but is Publix a grocery store. i keep hearing about Publix and that's where a lot of people buy food. but with all the stores like Walmart & Target now selling food, i wasn't sure if it's like a Walmart type store or just a regular grocery store.

Yup! Publix is a grocery store :) It's close to the apartments and the busses do go there. You'll pay more at publix for the food, but they have a bigger selection and are known for their 'buy one get one free" deals which I adored:love::goodvibes

The closest walmart IS a super walmart and does have a giant food selection. The closest target has a decent selection, but the busses don't run there.

Publix closes at... 10pm i think and walmart is open 24 hours!

[glendalais]

ok sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but is Publix a grocery store. i keep hearing about Publix and that's where a lot of people buy food. but with all the stores like Walmart & Target now selling food, i wasn't sure if it's like a Walmart type store or just a regular grocery store.

Yes, Publix is a Supermarket.

Publix Super Markets is the largest Supermarket chain in the State of Florida, and is a major chain across the South. Check their website for more information:

http://www.publix.com/

I shop there often (it's very close, so I don't have to go far). Fairly good quality, prices are reasonable. Service is ages better than WalMart, though.

[MaryPoppins86]

thanks for the quick reply. i wasn't if it was just a regular supermarket or just another version of super walmart.

Publix is a regular grocery store like Kroger, Big Bear, Giant Eagle etc. Publix and Sweetbay (used to be Kash n' Karry) are the two major grocery stores in Florida. Also of note to those of you who are over 21, due to liquor laws in Florida, grocery stores are typically prohibited from carrying hard liquor (and beer I think) so you will often see a liquor store right next door (often attatched) to the grocery store under the same name. Example: Publix Liquor Store. :rotfl2:

i don't know if the same laws apply in my state. probably does. but i work in grocery store now and we don't sell hard liquor either. and the store i work for also does have their own liquor stores. come to think of it, i don't think i've seen any supermarkets or any other place with hard liquor other than an actual liquor store.

[ZoeDisney]

I love Publix. It's way better than dirty old Winn Dixie. It's nice and clean. But of course, Walmart is cheaper but extremely crowded and SLOW. I am really sad that the buses don't go to Target. That is going to be a huge problem for me. :scared1: Are there any Linx buses that run around the neighborhood? I tried testing out the trip planner and Vista's address is not recognized.



Yea Publix doesn't sell hard liquor, but at least they have wine coolers,Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Silver, wine, etc. Try living in the northern states, they don't sell ANY alcohol in grocery stores.

[glendalais]

I love Publix. It's way better than dirty old Winn Dixie. It's nice and clean. But of course, Walmart is cheaper but extremely crowded and SLOW. I am really sad that the buses don't go to Target. That is going to be a huge problem for me. :scared1: Are there any Linx buses that run around the neighborhood? I tried testing out the trip planner and Vista's address is not recognized.



Yea Publix doesn't sell hard liquor, but at least they have wine coolers,Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Silver, wine, etc. Try living in the northern states, they don't sell ANY alcohol in grocery stores.

Lynx does run in the CP neighbourhoods, but it's a very slow service in general. My experience with it is that it's horribly inefficient - things that are a 15 minute drive away can suddenly become 2-3 hour bus rides :scared1:.

[Princess Ash]

I love Publix. It's way better than dirty old Winn Dixie. It's nice and clean. But of course, Walmart is cheaper but extremely crowded and SLOW. I am really sad that the buses don't go to Target. That is going to be a huge problem for me. :scared1: Are there any Linx buses that run around the neighborhood? I tried testing out the trip planner and Vista's address is not recognized.



Yea Publix doesn't sell hard liquor, but at least they have wine coolers,Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Silver, wine, etc. Try living in the northern states, they don't sell ANY alcohol in grocery stores.

*Gasp* :rolleyes:

I live in Massachusetts...no big deal, lol :confused3