In 2017, Disney contacted ACC to begin discussions that ultimately led the company to programming, designing, developing, owning, and managing the fully-integrated community for the 10,000-plus Disney Internships & Programs participants.īayless says ACC took the core competencies that have made it successful in student housing and applied them to a new concept that was realized in Flamingo Crossings Village. “My dorm at Morehouse College didn’t have health, wellness, and recreational amenities that are anything like what we have here.” “Living here is like living in a mini-resort,” says Daquan Spratley, a former participant who now works as a resident experience specialist at Flamingo Crossings Village. The collaboration between Disney and ACC extends to details such as the unit designs, the connection to adjacent retail development, and the amenity mix that gives residents their own Disney resort experience, says William Talbot, chief investment officer of ACC.Īs for the residents at Flamingo Crossings Village, enthusiasm prevails. While the occupants are a similar demographic to the college students ACC serves in other locations, these participants are also immersed into Disney culture through their program experience. The apartments are located in close proximity to Walt Disney World Resort®. Here, participants have access to resort-style amenities, including a fitness center, social lounges and recreation spaces. While there’s a parallel to student housing, he explains that Flamingo Crossings Village has an immense scale with approximately 10,000 beds and about 50,000 square feet of state-of-the art amenity space situated on 150 acres leased from Disney. “There’s nothing really like this anywhere else,” Bayless says. He explains that before Disney brought the REIT in to develop the community, Disney Internships & Programs participants were housed in traditional garden-style apartments.Īs the largest owner, manager, and developer of student housing in the United States, ACC has plenty of experience creating communities for students, but this project and the close partnership with Disney was different. “We wanted to create a customer experience for participants that emulates what they create for their guests,” says Bill Bayless, CEO of ACC. Typical program lengths range from one semester to 12 months.

This paid internship opportunity allows participants to work at the Walt Disney World® Resort in a variety of operating roles. Disney Internships & Programs includes the Disney College Program, Disney International Program, and Disney Culinary Program. (NYSE: ACC) is happy to be responsible for the place they call their home away from home.įlamingo Crossings Village is a purpose-built multifamily community within the Flamingo Crossings mixed-use development in Winter Garden, Florida. Photo courtesy of American Campus Communities.įor Disney Internships & Programs participants, getting the chance work at the “Most Magical Place on Earth” is like a dream come true, and American Campus Communities, Inc.

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