You can walk to any other apartment. One of these days i'll find some pictures of the locations.. but it's literally a 10 min walk to chatham/patterson from commons.. maybe 20 mins to vista from commons. It's not that bad.. but their reason is you have to be signed into another apartment complex from 9pm-1am..(someone who lives there has to sign you in at security) you gotta be out by 1am, no exceptions. There's ways to "sneak" in.. well not sneak, but just with the commons if you're coming from work, the buses drop you off inside the complex.. but some of the buses wont pick you up after 9pm from apartment complexes. About the only main one is the F bus, which is for Downtown Disney/Crossroads. I would normally agree with you pinkspideruk .. but my old roommate.. (she's on here.. Michelle) she'll agree we're just meant to be.. (roommate wise) we put up with each other in every annoying way we did things. I don't know.. we became ultimate best friends. But.. i do agree.. you need to spread out and see everyone and everything, you can't spend all your time with the people from your last contract because you will miss out on a lot.
I hope you guys can see this: Red is Patterson Court. There is a little arrow at the entrance. Blue is Chatham. Again with the arrow. The purple star is the rough location of the Chatham/Patterson bus stop. Green is the Commons. Arrow for the Entrance. To find this picture on gmaps, search for Gables Commons Drive (that's the A pointer) Uploaded with ImageShack.us
I loved the Commons and nothing could have made me move to Patterson. But that's because I got settled into an apartment I loved. First one was ok (4 bed apartment = 8 girls!!!) but I was glad to move out and was lucky enough to move into a nice big 1 bed apartment. Went through 3 room mates in there but they were all really good fun to live with. If I was to get there again I would hope to go back to the Commons, it may be dated but it's home!!! (And it is a stonesthrow away from the outlet mall where you can get the bus to pretty much anywhere)
Ooooh the map's really useful, thanks! It really isn't that far is it? I on't think I mind where I live to be honest, though admittedly The Commons seems to have a kind of legendary status which would be good to be part of!! As long as they're all walkable though it doesn't really matter. Exciting xx
Yeah to be honest it really doesn't matter where you live - it's so much fun anyway. But my advice would be to stick with the 1am rule, some rules can be bent but I wouldn't really risk that one. I saw a few people terminated throughout the year there and it is just such a waste of an experience for such a small thing.
That map was really useful - I've been wondering where the accommodation is in comparison to the rest of WDW. Commons seems like a great place to live, both for the social side and its proximity to the outlets (I don't know how much I'd actually go there, but I love those outlets so it seems like a great idea right now!), but I'd be fine with Patterson if that's becoming just as sociable. Having lived in the States for a year I'd quite like to live with Americans as well, and if Patterson is overall the more nicer of the two, then that sounds good to me! I take it you don't actually get a choice in your accommodation, at least initially?
No, you don't really ever have the choice exactly about where you live. You basically, depending on when you start, get put where there is a space. After you have been there a while you can then put a request in to move to a different apartment and you can be more specific about how many rooms etc. But the more specific you are, the longer you would have to wait. I waited for about 2 months to move into a 1 bed apartment but it really was worth the wait and all the frustration. I think Patterson is better in that you get to mix with people from other programs, I think I would have liked to do that a little more. But then again the good thing about the Commons is that you know everyone is in the same position as you. Working in the same place. (Patterson is better for the C bus - the bus to Epcot - at least you would get a seat in the mornings hahah)
Ok I may not have the numbers rights but I'm using it as an example If i was in commons 1213 (which would mean building 12), and wanted to visit someone else in the commons at 4am for example and say they were in 1515 (so building 15) would I be able to do that i.e. can you move around the complex or is it only your own building?
So long as you stay within your own Complex past 1am, you're fine. You just can't stay in any other complex past 1am.
Technically you are not allowed to be in someone elses appartment at 4am as this counts as an 'overnight' guest. The 1am rule applies within the complex too but it isn't as strictly enforced. I knew plenty of people who stayed over each others apartments and I often hung out with my friends until early hours. They probably wouldn't but they could query you as to where you were going, but all I would say is that I couldn't sleep so went for a walk. You might get a name for yourself making too many 4am calls though hahaha
hmm thats difficult - you make friends with the chefs and stuff if your in f&b but most of the perm staff are married or whatever. the only reason this girl did is cos she knew some people on the prog who stayed there permenatly (got married). the perm staff at mo in uk are like lady sarah who is a server shes an older woman who is awesome married with kids, carl whos in the bar an older guy who just works morningsthere was lynda who was a trainer and did bar - have heard shes left - shes younger who got married to a chef she met on her prog. i guess its harder for the m to make friends properly with crps cos we are alwahys coming and going
I have some friends who are permanent staff members. But I don't talk to them much, it's not like I would go over and see them. Well actually with one exception - I would go over to see Laura who was a sound tech for the bands in Canada and the UK. But then thats because I was dating someone from the band so we often hung out. Because they aren't on the program you don't bond with them as much as you do with others doing the same as you.
each appartment is grouped individually so you could have a wellness girls appt ext to an over 21sboys next to a over 21s girls. they also change - if your the last person in an appt that is wellness they may ask u to switch appts so they can refurb that appt and make it into a non wellness
Sometimes i wondered if ours were wellness.. classic was walking into are apartment and noticing our dining room table was missing.
