*ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN AND NOT OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OR YUMMY JOBS*
Hey there, pals!
Now, the Carousel of Progress attraction at the Magic Kingdom is all about progress through the years, and it can be said that the same thing is happening to the Disney College Program housing complexes. So, I reviewed the existing Disney College Program housing complexes in my previous two posts, in which some of the complexes have been housing participants since the 1980s! And, my concluding post of the housing complexes is all about the housing complex of the future...
The announcement of Flamingo Crossings Village being the new Disney College Program housing complex happened long before I even arrived for the Academic Exchange Program! Later, in the summer of 2019, permits were filed to build a new town centre close to the housing complex, which is going to include brand new hotels for visiting tourists and brand new retail facilities, including a Target and Disney store, Walgreens and a Speedway gas station.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic halting operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, this did not stop the construction of the newer generations of Disney College Program housing complexes - check out some of the concept arts below courtesy of blogmickey.com:
Partnered with American Campus Community, Flamingo Crossings Village opened in December 2020 to current Disney Cast Members and Operating Participants and hopefully will include Disney College Program participants in the near future!
Disclaimer: Flamingo Crossings Village is a brand new apartment complex that I unfortunately did not get to experience for myself in person while I was out on my Disney Academic Exchange Program. This post is based only on the information that is already out there. All of the information detailed below is taken from various blog news sites (insidethemagic.net, blogmickey.com, wdwnewstoday.com) and the Flamingo Crossings Village website (https://www.fcvapartments.com/student-apartments/fl/disney/flamingo-crossings-village) combined with my knowledge of facilities for Disney College Program housing complexes.
Complex Apartments
Each apartment at Flamingo Crossings Village has either 2 or 4 bedrooms and the beds vary from two single beds in a shared room or what looks like a double bed in a private room - even in a shared bedroom, you get some form of privacy with your own closet and dresser draw, plus a divider between the two single beds (which may be a good thing for some people).
Like the existing (or older generation) housing complexes, there is an open space communal kitchen and living area, with lots of cupboard storage, a full refrigerator and freezer, microwave, oven and stove, dishwasher, furniture, trash cans, plenty of USB plugs (very handy for us international participants) and a smart TV.
A similarity between Flamingo Crossings Village and the Commons is that there is a washing and drying machine in each apartment - convenient for not having to lug your laundry around the complex! Also, one thing to point out about the buildings at Flamingo Crossings Village is that each one has an elevator - something that has never featured in the Disney College Program housing before! I think this is definitely going to be convenient for people, particularly those living on the third and fourth floors, instead of struggling to hoist heavy suitcases and boxes up the staircases.
Complex Facilities
Elsewhere at the complex, there is a:
24-hour gym facilities - much more advanced unlike the existing and older generation of housing complexes
swimming pool in a lazy river style and a hot tub
basketball court
volleyball court
greenery space - great for other organised sports or a great spot for housing events
outdoor BBQ grills
games area
various areas for community hangouts
front desk
mail room
Location
Flamingo Crossings Housing (highlighted on the red location point) is situated just off State Road 429 and is a less than 15min drive away from the Walt Disney World Resort - the complex is really close to Disney's Animal Kingdom, whereas the existing housing complexes were closest to Disney Springs.
To me, Flamingo Crossings Village looks a little off the beaten track, but the development of Flamingo Crossings town centre should definitely combat that by bringing all the facilities that were usually a 10-40min bus ride a little closer to the housing complex. And who knows maybe there is more facilities along State Road 429 that aren't visible on Google Maps from what I can see?
How much does it cost?
Please note that all prices are taken from the official Flamingo Crossings website and are accurate as of March 2021. Also, these prices are monthly as opposed to weekly and I would assume that a direct debit would be set up for Disney College Program students.
6-month term:
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (1 private and 1 shared) = $609.00 (shared rooms), $1049.00 (private rooms)
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both private) = $1049.00
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both shared) = $609.00
4 bedroom, 2 bathroom (private bedrooms and shared bathrooms) = $699.00
4 bedroom, 4 bathroom (all private) = $749.00
9-month term:
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (1 private and 1 shared) = $584.00 (shared rooms), $1024.00 (private rooms)
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both private) = $1024.00
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both shared) = $584.00
4 bedroom, 2 bathroom (private bedrooms and shared bathrooms) = $674.00
4 bedroom, 4 bathroom (all private) = $724.00
12-month term:
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (1 private and 1 shared) = $559.00 (shared rooms), $899.00 (private rooms)
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both private) = $899.00
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (both shared) = $559.00
4 bedroom, 2 bathroom (private bedrooms and shared bathrooms) = $649.00
4 bedroom, 4 bathroom (all private) = $699.00
Parking - one-time $10 fee
So, after putting together all of the information that we know so far and looking at pictures/videos of Flamingo Crossings, here are my thoughts on the newest Disney College Program housing complex:
The development of the Disney College Program housing is most definitely exciting and it most definitely is wonderful to see a more contemporary approach to the apartments and communal facilities. Like I mentioned earlier, this post only contains the most up to date information (March 2021); as more information unfolds about Flamingo Crossings Village housing Disney College Program participants, some of my questions that have yet to be announced right now may become a lot more clearer how it's going to work. For the most up to date information, it definitely be worth checking out the Disney Internships and Programs website.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post just as much as I enjoyed researching about Flamingo Crossings. What are your opinions of Flamingo Crossings Village? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section or on my social media accounts (links at the bottom of the page!).
In the meantime, have an absolutely magical day and I'll see you all in my next post!
-Hannah
DISCLAIMER: this blog is my personal experience on the Disney Academic Exchange Program (DAEP) 2019-2020 and may not reflect everyone’s experience. Other programs and future participants on the DAEP may have slight adjustments to their programs that may not be featured in any of my blog posts. That being said, if you do leave any questions, I will try to answer them as best as I possibly can 😊