*ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN AND NOT OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OR YUMMY JOBS*
Hey there, pals!
I'm continuing on with my Disney College Program (DCP) housing complex reviews because some of you guys actually requested to see more of these posts, which I was really surprised by! Plus, no-one really knows what's happening with the current housing complexes whether they're going to still house DCP participants or if these properties will retire. So, I thought it would be wise to review both the old generation of DCP housing complexes and the new generation currently under construction.
Disclaimer: I only lived at Vista Way during my Disney Academic Exchange Program from 2019 to 2020 and so my views are purely based off images and hearing other people's experiences living at Chatham Square and Patterson Court
With all that being said, we shall start off this post with...
Chatham Square is one of the most common housing complexes to house Disney international participants, as well as regular Disney College Program participants.
Complex Apartments and Facilities
Like Vista Way, Chatham Square is one of the bigger housing complexes and does host multiple housing events throughout the calendar year! The apartments can range from a 2-person all the way up to an 8-person apartment, each with one or two bathrooms, depending on the size of the apartment, and a communal kitchen and living area. Disney housing does provide some kitchen equipment. These include: a few pots and pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and cups.
Around the complex, Chatham Square has a range of facilities:
One swimming pool
Basic gym facilities
Small study area and computer room
Education classrooms
Greenery space - often where housing events take place!
Basketball court
Volleyball court
Mini athletics track
As with all the Disney housing complexes, there are dedicated smoking areas around the complex.
Laundry
At Chatham Square, they're a few separate units that are dotted around the entire complex which are dedicated for laundry. Like I've already mentioned, I only lived at Vista Way during my Disney Academic Exchange Program, and so I'm assuming that all of the laundry machines at the Disney housing complexes work the same - paying around $2 for washing and around $1.50 for drying by cash or debit/credit card.
Location
Situated in Little Lake Bryan, Chatham Square (highlighted in blue) is within walking distance of the Commons and Patterson Court, as well as Mickey's Retreat (a recreational facility opposite the Chatham Square complex entrance). Also, Publix (a grocery store chain) is a 20min walk from Chatham Square and it is the same Publix that is on one of the bus routes.
Bus Transportation
One aspect of Chatham Square that is different from all of the other existing housing complexes is that the bus stop for Chatham Square is located outside of the complex entrance. Similar to Vista Way bus hub, the Chatham Square bus stop is the other complex where all the bus routes stop. Another point to note is that Chatham Square is the first stop on some of the theme park routes, so if you would be more likely to get a seat before going to work or visit the parks.
How Much Does it Cost?
All rent prices are automatically deducted from pay checks each week, so you don't have to worry about when rent will be deducted from your debut or credit card. Please note that all rent prices are accurate as of 2019-2020:
1 bedroom, 2 person - $196.00
1 bedroom, 3 person - $124.00
2 bedroom, 6 person - $112.00
3 bedroom, 6 person - $131.00
4 bedroom, 8 person - $125.00
Overall, Chatham Square has a range of facilities and is located in a very good area for the other existing housing complexes and recreation areas. Fun fact: Chatham Square was my first choice of accommodation, behind Vista Way! Based on my research of the housing complex and my own personal experiences from my Disney Academic Exchange Program, I've put together my own verdict of Chatham Square:
Right around the corner from Chatham Square is:
Complex Apartments and Facilities
The Patterson Court apartments are the newest of the existing apartments and they certainly look very modern! Each apartment either has two single beds or one single bed and one bunk bed. Also, Patterson Court apartments have one bathroom assigned to each bedroom, compared to some of the other housing complexes that have multiple bedrooms assigned to one bathroom. As with all of the other existing Disney College Program housing complexes, there is a communal living room and kitchen space. From my experiences visiting Patterson Court for education classes during my Disney Academic Exchange Program, one thing that was definitely notable to me was there are a LOT of parking spaces close to all of the apartment buildings too!
Around the complex, Patterson Court has:
1 swimming pool
Basic gym facilities
Front desk
Small computer room
Education classrooms
Furthermore, there are designated smoking areas around Patterson Court.
Laundry
Similar to Chatham Square, Patterson Court does have laundry facilities but they're located in individual units separate from the apartment buildings. You do have to pay either by cash or debit/credit card to use the laundry machines.
Location
Patterson Court (highlighted in orange) is situated in the Little Lake Bryan area, which is about a 10min drive from the Walt Disney World Resort, and is within walking distance of the Commons and Chatham Square. Furthermore, Patterson Court is about a 20min walk from Publix and also the Orlando Premium Outlets (shopping venue).
Bus Transportation
Patterson Court does have a bus stop, near the swimming pool, education classrooms, gym facility, computer room and front desk, and the only bus route that stops here is the Walmart, Post Office and Publix route. For all of the other bus routes, participants that are housed at Patterson Court would have to walk about 8-10mins to the Chatham Square bus stop for the other bus routes.
How Much Does it Cost?
All rent prices are automatically deducted from pay checks each week, so you don't have to worry about when rent will be deducted from your debut or credit card. Please note that all rent prices are accurate as of 2019-2020:
1 bedroom, 2 person - $196.00
1 bedroom, 3 person - $124.00
2 bedroom, 5 person - $119.00
3 bedroom, 6 person - $131.00
Out of all of the existing Disney College Program housing complexes in the Little Lake Bryan area, Patterson Court was the one that I visited the most. Here is my view of the pros and cons of Patterson Court:
Thank you so much for reading this second post of the existing Disney College Program housing complexes. Hopefully, this post gave you some insight and helped with researching about which housing complex to stay at, if the existing housing complexes are going to continue housing Disney College Program participants. If you just so happen to be the new generation of Disney College Program participants, I hope you enjoyed reading this post regardless about what the Disney College Program housing used to be like!!
Stay tuned for my third post, which is going to be my views on the new Flamingo Crossing village, which looks to be a new Disney College Program housing for future participants when the Disney College Program is accepting applications again. In the meantime, why not read my previous post on Vista Way and the Commons, which are the other two existing Disney housing complexes?
Have a magical day!
-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 😊