CP apartment questions?

[leebee]

What is "in" the apartments at Chatham, Vista, and Patterson? I know DD will need to bring her personal belongings, clothes, and linens, but what ELSE will she need? Are dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, glasses, etc. in the kitchens? Are the apartments equipped with cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, vacuums? How are the apartments furnished? Rugs or bare floors? We are excitedly getting ready for August!

 

[Musings]

What is "in" the apartments at Chatham, Vista, and Patterson? I know DD will need to bring her personal belongings, clothes, and linens, but what ELSE will she need? Are dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, glasses, etc. in the kitchens? Are the apartments equipped with cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, vacuums? How are the apartments furnished? Rugs or bare floors? We are excitedly getting ready for August!

The Disney site lists what are SUPPOSED to be included but pots and pans vary from apartment to apartment. You'll need a baking pan if you plan to do any cooking. Utensils are included. You'll want to invest in your own cleaning supplies - while you CAN borrow cleaning supplies from the front desk, everyone is competing at inspection time and you can only borrow them when the front desk is open. As someone who has no personal vaccuum cleaner and has inspection tomorrow, I recommend you buy at least a small one. I have a mop but never use it. I suggest buying lysol or something like that and investing in sponges. Use some of those clorox wipes to wipe down the kitchen actively. You will have carpet for the bedroom and the living room. Kitchen is tile, so is the bathroom. Also she'll have glasses, pans and all that. No coffee maker though so if she likes coffee.. there is an ice maker, don't need an ice tray. She'll need trash bags. There is 1 couch, one chair provided. they provide trash can bins. They don't provide a TV. They provide a TV stand. She may want to invest in a small desk as they don't really have one except in the common area that isn't great.

A must have is a router. They provide a modem but it does not create wifi. Also they do not give you toasters, they provide a microwave and all that but anything like that is additional. There is a dishwasher. You'll want to invest in dish wash soap, hand soap, you'll probably want to invest in a bathroom holder for the tub. ie additional space to put her stuff. I recommend buying containers - some of those plastic containers as there is no storage space other than dressers and I wish I had one. It'll be easier to keep her stuff in and office supplies in living room. They do have bed stands and they do have night stands in the living room but you can't keep anything in it. Also if she likes to read or anything, you'll want book holders or maybe a small book shelf - plastic container or bins will help that though. Creating storage/compartmentalization is basically the biggest issue she'll have. Remember Disney provides work costume, don't bring too little clothing though. Bring clothing for cold nights.

 

[SkyinNeverland]

Hey! Congratulations to your daughter for getting in! I am still waiting to hear back, so I can't be much help in experience. But I have found many videos on youtube of current/past CPs saying what to pack and what they wished they had packed. Also, many video tours of the actual apartments so you can see where she might be living! They were very helpful to watch. Good luck!

 

[jordanri]

What is "in" the apartments at Chatham, Vista, and Patterson? I know DD will need to bring her personal belongings, clothes, and linens, but what ELSE will she need? Are dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, glasses, etc. in the kitchens? Are the apartments equipped with cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, vacuums? How are the apartments furnished? Rugs or bare floors? We are excitedly getting ready for August!

the kitchen furnishings are a lot to be desired to be honest. they "have" pots, pans, cutlery and so on but a lot of isn't....great. i would suggest, if your daughter likes cooking, to invest in some pans. however i have had roommates who have burned things on to other's pans and didn't clean them so that's something to be wary of.

apartments are not equiped with cleaning supplies like mops, brooms and vaccuums HOWEVER they are able to be rented free of charge from the housing office in leiu of leaving your housing id with them. i suggest a small vaccuum in the apartment only because the carpets tend to dirty quickly and it's a pain lugging a vaccuum all the way across chatham and up three flights of stairs.

carpets in every room except bathroom/kitchen. the carpets are kind of gross and can be itchy. they're a weird shade of green at chatham and brown and thin at patterson.

things that she should consider bringing are: a toaster, desk lamp, bath rugs, decortive shower curtain, a television, things for her bullentin board, and A LOCK FOR HER LOCKER. i can't stress that enough. i have had problems with people eating my food mostly, so locking up snacks and such is a good idea. also, if she doesn't know her roommates prior to the program, locking up laptops/phones and everything else is a great idea too!

 

[ArielinWonderland]

I have a few more questions about the Disney World apartments!

1) Are there bike racks on the complexes? Do you think it's worth it to bring a bike (especially since I'm 99% sure I will not have a car)? Are the complexes biking distance from each other, and from shops/restaurants? Would it be realistic to bike to work from any/all of them?

2) Are there gyms and pools on each complex? What are the different ammenities each complex has? (Gym, pool, community areas, bus stops, etc.)

Thanks!!

 

[leebee]

I have a few more questions about the Disney World apartments!

1) Are there bike racks on the complexes? Do you think it's worth it to bring a bike (especially since I'm 99% sure I will not have a car)? Are the complexes biking distance from each other, and from shops/restaurants? Would it be realistic to bike to work from any/all of them?

2) Are there gyms and pools on each complex? What are the different ammenities each complex has? (Gym, pool, community areas, bus stops, etc.)

Thanks!!

When we were at WDW last month, we drove out by the apartments where the CP CMs live. First, there is NO WAY you'll be biking to work. It's too far, and roadways at WDW are basically like highways. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed, and there are no sidewalks or bike lanes. While you might ride around the complexes, I would hesitate recommending you ride to Publix, Walgreen's, the outlet malls, etc. We are talking narrow, heavily congested roadways that handle FAR more vehicles than they safely were designed to handle, once again without sidewalks one bike lanes. I really don't think it's safe, or smart, to cycle in the area.

 

[leeg229]

I have a few more questions about the Disney World apartments!

1) Are there bike racks on the complexes? Do you think it's worth it to bring a bike (especially since I'm 99% sure I will not have a car)? Are the complexes biking distance from each other, and from shops/restaurants? Would it be realistic to bike to work from any/all of them?

2) Are there gyms and pools on each complex? What are the different ammenities each complex has? (Gym, pool, community areas, bus stops, etc.)

Thanks!!

You're not allowed to bring a bike on the program unfortunately.

Each complex has a pool and I'm pretty sure they have gyms too. Vista has two pools and a hot tub. Vista Chatham and The commons are the only ones to have CP bus stops. Vista has a small computer and book/video library.

 

[ArielinWonderland]

Ah, that's sad. Hopefully I will be able to bring my car down, but I love riding my bike when I can!

Thanks for the info.

 

[lego606]

You're not allowed to bring a bike on the program unfortunately.

Each complex has a pool and I'm pretty sure they have gyms too. Vista has two pools and a hot tub. Vista Chatham and The commons are the only ones to have CP bus stops. Vista has a small computer and book/video library.

Stay farrrrr away from that hot tub

 

[SFGamerBabe]

I have a couple apartment questions!

Are all beds in all apartments twin size? Are they regular or XL twin? Also I'm planning to bring quite a few photo frames, will I have room for around 6-8 frames (4x6 and 5x7) on my nightstand or is that too many?

Any consensus on which apartment is the quietest/has thicker walls so you can't hear everything happening next door? Obviously there are exceptions but just curious.

 

[eadavis]

Are all beds in all apartments twin size? Are they regular or XL twin?

All beds are twin. You can get an XL Twin but its a $100 security deposit, you can do that at the housing office.

Also I'm planning to bring quite a few photo frames, will I have room for around 6-8 frames (4x6 and 5x7) on my nightstand or is that too many?

It shouldnt be a problem, but you may want to look into utilizing a cork board, you are sharing a pretty small room with another person, space is a premium.

Any consensus on which apartment is the quietest/has thicker walls so you can't hear everything happening next door? Obviously there are exceptions but just curious.

Chatham or Patterson as they are newer, if you can swing it, get an apt on the top floor, least foot traffic and you don't have to worry about people above you.

 

[SFGamerBabe]

Thanks so much for your answers, very helpful! I was hoping they weren't all XL twin because that would mean I'd need to buy and extra set of sheets. I didn't know a corkboard was provided (or if it isn't, are we allowed to hang things on the walls? I was under the impression we weren't) but if so I definitely plan to take advantage of it.

 

[sarewil]

I'm moving in on May 27th. I will not have my own car while I'm down there and was wondering about the bus stops. I know that there is one at Vista but where is the other one located? I would rather have my apartment closer to a bus stop while I am down there. Any suggestions?

 

[jking6]

My Daughter is there now and staying at Chattum and the bus stop is directly accross the parking lot from her apartment.

 

[sarewil]

My Daughter is there now and staying at Chattum and the bus stop is directly accross the parking lot from her apartment.

Thank you jking6 for letting me know that. I know that it is more expensive than staying at vista but i'm not sure that I want to be at Vista since i'm 26 and my wild partying days are behind me. lol

 

[Cais]

Vista's also a lot more convenient without a car since you actually have food options and a Walgreens right outside. It's not really a 34/7 party either everything you hear about vista is a lie.

 

[ArielinWonderland]

I know that there are buses that take you to your work location, but are there also buses (Disney or public) that stop at any of the complexes/nearby to take you to a supermarket/the mall/etc.?

 

[AnnaS]

Mattress pad is a must/great!

 

[Hollsey]

I know that there are buses that take you to your work location, but are there also buses (Disney or public) that stop at any of the complexes/nearby to take you to a supermarket/the mall/etc.?

There's a CP bus that takes you to Walmart and Publix (or if you live at Chatham/Patterson and don't mind walking about 10-15 minutes, you can get to Publix without the need of a bus), as well as a bus that takes you to the mall (on my program, it ran once a week, and each month the day that it ran would change--so for example in September it only ran on Wednesdays and then October it might only run on Thursdays). If you take the bus to The Commons or walk there, right across the street is a parking garage, and if you walk through that garage you'll get to the outlets. Also, the same bus that takes you to Downtown Disney will also go to Crossroads, which is a strip mall-like thing down the road from Vista. Lots of options!

And I wouldn't say EVERYTHING you hear about Vista is a lie. I was lucky and had relatively quiet neighbors, but I still heard parties every once in a while, and there were regularly CPs out and about at 2 am when I would get off work every night. It's not as bad as some people make it out to be, but it's definitely not as quiet as the others.

 

[ArielinWonderland]

Thanks, Hollsey!

Regarding CPs being out and about on complexes at 2am... I know you aren't allowed to have guests after 1am (including other CPs from other complexes, which baffles me because in my Disneyland program, we all lived in the same complex and the guest rule was rarely enforced), but are you allowed to be in another apartment on your same complex after that time? Like, if my friend and I both lived on Chatham, but not in the same room, could we visit each other after 1am?