? For those who have moved to Orlando area

Criickette · Sep 24, 2016

If you have moved down to the Orlando/Kissimmee/WDW area, do you have any regrets? Is it what you thought it would be? I know these are broad questions but just curious. :teeth:

WhateverLolaWants · Sep 25, 2016

I moved here alone in 2013 after growing up visiting Disney and loving the area when I did the WDWCP in 2007. Best decision I have ever made. I am originally from the Midwest and winter really affected my mood, driving in snow stressed me out, and at that point in my life I just wanted a change. I find people down here to be more social and my calendar typically fills up 4-6 weeks in advance with such varied activities. Where I am originally from, people my age barely leave the house unless it is summer because of the cruddy weather and if they do, it's to go to a bar. Yawn. There is so much to do here and great non-chain restaurants to dine at. I would also say the majority of my friends have Disney passes so I go to the parks a lot and a smaller portion of my friends have Universal passes so I go there a lot as well.

A negative of the area is definitely traffic. Every time I'm on I-4 I watch near accidents in front of me from drivers not paying attention. I also live in the Disney area, so I'm around people unfamiliar with the roads. I nearly got hit my first week living here by someone who realized they were in the wrong lane and moved over two lanes without looking. This kind of thing happens at least once a month for me. You'll also see people turning right on red from a straight lane from time to time. Also the job market down here is miserable so do not move here unless you have a job lined up or are willing to make minimum wage. I got laid off from my job in May and I applied to over 70 jobs and only ever heard back from 3. Housing is very expensive down here so you can't make minimum wage unless you have at least one roommate.

ilovefh · Sep 25, 2016

We moved down in 2010 but left in 2013 to raise our kids near family. Fast forward a year and a half and we moved back.

It was like what @WhateverLolaWants said, there was nothing to do where we were and we were bored. We sat around everyday during the winter because none of us, including our son, liked the cold.

We live 4 miles from Disney and we love it. We always have something to do. We go to all of the special events at all the parks.

A big part of why we moved back was our son. He has some special needs and where we are from our choices were to send him to public school or pay for private. Down here they have a few special needs charter schools that specialize in students with special needs and they're free. We've been beyond happy with his school!

I'm a teacher so jobs are plentiful, I'm not sure about other fields.

All in all, we're very happy!

HopperFan · Sep 25, 2016

WhateverLolaWants said:
...................
A negative of the area is definitely traffic. Every time I'm on I-4 I watch near accidents in front of me from drivers not paying attention. I also live in the Disney area, so I'm around people unfamiliar with the roads. I nearly got hit my first week living here by someone who realized they were in the wrong lane and moved over two lanes without looking. This kind of thing happens at least once a month for me. You'll also see people turning right on red from a straight lane from time to time. Also the job market down here is miserable so do not move here unless you have a job lined up or are willing to make minimum wage. I got laid off from my job in May and I applied to over 70 jobs and only ever heard back from 3. Housing is very expensive down here so you can't make minimum wage unless you have at least one roommate.

I think this is so important. Living in Orlando can be great but much of that hinges on your income.

When DD went down with plans to stay I talked at length with friends who live there. One lived in Celebration, her DH made a very nice income. She said that to live well in the area you need to make a good income. Most the people they knew at Disney were executives, but that DD would be working her way up and spending many years making a low wage. Friend has since moved to Winter Park for years and now lives near downtown O in historic and very nice area. They love it. SO much to do, so many places to eat and be entertained ... if you can afford it. Another is working for Disney, 3 roommates, tight budget and looking to move to Davenport to cut costs and improve standard of living. Several of DD friends still there after 5-10 years are single, have roommates and always considering a move away because of the cost of living in Orlando.

Remember that there is LOTS to do but you have to be able to afford it. LINE up those jobs with a pay that makes it worth while.

Criickette · Sep 26, 2016

Thank you so much everyone! My husband and I have three little ones so we would never make the move without decent jobs lined up, and with luck, my husband would just transfer with his current position. Cost of living is definitely a bit higher where we currently live for no reason and it is all about the woodsy outdoors here. We aren't big outdoor types (hiking, fishing, skiing, hunting, etc) so it's definitely not our cup of tea. Not to mention the climbing crime rate and ignorance here!

Good to hear that there are decent schools with choices are available. There are not many choices here and I am not fond of sending my children 10+ miles away one way to a semi decent school either.

Living down there has always been a dream of ours but we were trying to raise our children near family first and then take the plunge. However, I think It may be sooner rather than later. The Disney area definitely better suits our interests and way of living.

Hopefully everyone will continue to share their thoughts and personal experiences.

NH-to-FL · Sep 26, 2016

We are looking forward to spending our second winter at our snowbird home in Davenport, near champions Gate. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there last winter. After many years of just visiting Disney, we were living there. While our view is from what you might call the other end of life's experience I will pass along a few thoughts. In no particular order.

First the weather. Winters in Florida are wonderful after surviving 30+ years of New England winters. Summers, however, are just too hot and humid for us. We were there for two weeks in late August and basically lived in air conditioning. I did a couple of small outdoor household jobs in the very early morning and was still wiped out after an hour. It was too hot even for Disney. We made a couple of short trips but decided to save Disney for the winter. I knew one Florida native who moved to New England for work and complained about the cold summers. After three years he ended up moving back to Florida. He grew up without air conditioning and was used to the heat. We did not. For now we will stay snowbirds. Depending on what part of the country you are coming from summer in Florida might be a shock.

Traffic: As others have noted the traffic, especially along I-4, is busy. Especially if you are coming from a rural area. Coming from dealing with the traffic in the Boston area makes my assessment a bit different. The traffic around Orlando is getting worse. But it could be a lot worse. And it might get there as there seems to be another building boom going on. At least in our area. After a long pause many new developments have started up. And since

Cost: Compared to where we are in southern NH the cost of living is a bit lower. But I would not call the area 'low cost'. I am sure there are plenty of places that you can dig out the official numbers and I would encourage you check to make sure the numbers will work for you.

People: We live in a mostly short term vacation rental development. Though it is turning more residential as time goes by. There are a few full time residents and a few more snowbirds. Everyone we've met has been very nice. Including the various people we've run into while living life. Starting with our realtor then at stores, doctor offices, our plumber, etc.

Schools: While we have no direct experience it is said that the schools in Polk County are not the best. Funding and recent population growth is stressing the school system. They opened a new K-8 school in northern Polk County and it was over capacity the day it opened. Do your homework before selecting an area.

So no regrets so far. We've moved a few times during our lives, lived on both coasts, and are both happy and blessed to call Davenport our winter home.

Wishing you all the best in your move.

Ametista · Sep 26, 2016

WhateverLolaWants said:
A negative of the area is definitely traffic. Every time I'm on I-4 I watch near accidents in front of me from drivers not paying attention.

I have noticed the entire stretch of I4 between Tampa and Orlando is a nightmare, and 275 S (and N) to St Petersburg is also really bad. I have never seen so much tailgaiting/people trying to run others off the road. And so of course there are always a ton of accidents. I stayed in Siesta Key last March and told the hotel owner there were a lot of crashes on the highways in FL and she immediately said "Yeah!!! Because people won't GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!" I think her response pretty much explains the attitude that causes the accidents.

cruisingtwins · Sep 26, 2016

We lived there for a year and we did not find it very family friendly. We were in orange county and the county did not have any programs for kids.

TwoMisfits · Sep 27, 2016

cruisingtwins said:
We lived there for a year and we did not find it very family friendly. We were in orange county and the county did not have any programs for kids.

My sister did it for 3 years and it was her least favorite place to live (she has also lived in VA Beach, VA, Newport, RI, and now Charleston, SC). She explained that there are distinct population groups and none of them overlap/interact/appreciate each other - ie, the elderly and young families (2 of her named groups) don't appreciate interacting with each other (ymmv with her assessment). She said it was the least neighborly place she's ever lived.

So, I would not choose to live there, but I do like to visit (I still have other family in Melbourne and Orlando, so I make almost yearly visits). I know my other extended family finds it no cheaper than where they were before (Atlanta, GA and South Jersey) and they both moved for necessity (both job moves), but they don't detest it like my sister did...

Criickette · Sep 27, 2016

NH-to-FL said:
We are looking forward to spending our second winter at our snowbird home in Davenport, near champions Gate. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there last winter. After many years of just visiting Disney, we were living there. While our view is from what you might call the other end of life's experience I will pass along a few thoughts. In no particular order.

First the weather. Winters in Florida are wonderful after surviving 30+ years of New England winters. Summers, however, are just too hot and humid for us. We were there for two weeks in late August and basically lived in air conditioning. I did a couple of small outdoor household jobs in the very early morning and was still wiped out after an hour. It was too hot even for Disney. We made a couple of short trips but decided to save Disney for the winter. I knew one Florida native who moved to New England for work and complained about the cold summers. After three years he ended up moving back to Florida. He grew up without air conditioning and was used to the heat. We did not. For now we will stay snowbirds. Depending on what part of the country you are coming from summer in Florida might be a shock.

Traffic: As others have noted the traffic, especially along I-4, is busy. Especially if you are coming from a rural area. Coming from dealing with the traffic in the Boston area makes my assessment a bit different. The traffic around Orlando is getting worse. But it could be a lot worse. And it might get there as there seems to be another building boom going on. At least in our area. After a long pause many new developments have started up. And since

Cost: Compared to where we are in southern NH the cost of living is a bit lower. But I would not call the area 'low cost'. I am sure there are plenty of places that you can dig out the official numbers and I would encourage you check to make sure the numbers will work for you.

People: We live in a mostly short term vacation rental development. Though it is turning more residential as time goes by. There are a few full time residents and a few more snowbirds. Everyone we've met has been very nice. Including the various people we've run into while living life. Starting with our realtor then at stores, doctor offices, our plumber, etc.

Schools: While we have no direct experience it is said that the schools in Polk County are not the best. Funding and recent population growth is stressing the school system. They opened a new K-8 school in northern Polk County and it was over capacity the day it opened. Do your homework before selecting an area.

So no regrets so far. We've moved a few times during our lives, lived on both coasts, and are both happy and blessed to call Davenport our winter home.

Wishing you all the best in your move.

I am so jealous! Being a snowbird is having the best of both worlds. Some day. Thankfully we don't mind the heat and humidity since this past summer in PA gave FL a run for its money with humidity and heat. At least FL is more equipped for it. We have also taken many trips to FL during July and August, and didn't seem to mind.

cruisingtwins said:
We lived there for a year and we did not find it very family friendly. We were in orange county and the county did not have any programs for kids.

What type of county programs for kids were you looking for?

CyCub · Sep 27, 2016

I was ready to leave after 1 summer. The winter is great though.

cruisingtwins · Sep 28, 2016

Criickette said:
I am so jealous! Being a snowbird is having the best of both worlds. Some day. Thankfully we don't mind the heat and humidity since this past summer in PA gave FL a run for its money with humidity and heat. At least FL is more equipped for it. We have also taken many trips to FL during July and August, and didn't seem to mind.

What type of county programs for kids were you looking for?

Herer is MN they send me a huge catalog of family activities all run through the county. We moved here in june and our kids have done soccer, tennis, swimming,gymnastics, ice skating, arts and music. We are trying floor hockey and tumbling next month. We did not find Orange county provided any of those opportunities. There is an Early childhood system here that provides classes filed trips events etc for kids under 5. Nothing like that in Orlando.

Criickette · Sep 28, 2016

cruisingtwins said:
Herer is MN they send me a huge catalog of family activities all run through the county. We moved here in june and our kids have done soccer, tennis, swimming,gymnastics, ice skating, arts and music. We are trying floor hockey and tumbling next month. We did not find Orange county provided any of those opportunities. There is an Early childhood system here that provides classes filed trips events etc for kids under 5. Nothing like that in Orlando.

WOW!!! We would love something like that but that doesn't exist here either.

cruisingtwins · Sep 28, 2016

Criickette said:
WOW!!! We would love something like that but that doesn't exist here either.

I guess everywhere is different. Those activities are not free but about half the price than you would pay in a private facility. And you can get scholarships depending on income.

ilovefh · Sep 28, 2016

cruisingtwins said:
Herer is MN they send me a huge catalog of family activities all run through the county. We moved here in june and our kids have done soccer, tennis, swimming,gymnastics, ice skating, arts and music. We are trying floor hockey and tumbling next month. We did not find Orange county provided any of those opportunities. There is an Early childhood system here that provides classes filed trips events etc for kids under 5. Nothing like that in Orlando.

I'm not sure where in Orange County you were, but we find tons of things for the kids. In Orange County it's more by the city than the county. We're in Winter Garden and the parks and rec department puts on tons of programs from athletics to art to music classes for toddlers. The same with Orlando. When we lived in Davenport, but closer to Kissimmee we used to do programs there. Their summer brochure is 32 pages long!

Maistre Gracey · Sep 29, 2016

We moved to Orlando a little over a year ago. We love it. We moved primarily for my job, but we wanted to move south (from ct) for many years.
There are some seedy areas so do your homework.
Orlando will not be our final Florida home, as we want to get somewhere toward the southwest coast.

MG

nancipants · Oct 3, 2016

ilovefh said:
I'm not sure where in Orange County you were, but we find tons of things for the kids. In Orange County it's more by the city than the county. We're in Winter Garden and the parks and rec department puts on tons of programs from athletics to art to music classes for toddlers. The same with Orlando. When we lived in Davenport, but closer to Kissimmee we used to do programs there. Their summer brochure is 32 pages long!

This was the case when I was a kid and lived in Port Orange (in Volusia County). All the sports programs were offered through the Port Orange Parts and Rec department.

Madivan · Oct 3, 2016

You might consider areas outside of Orlando as well (but still within day trip distance to Disney, of course!). We are in a suburb east of Tampa and are big fans of the Tampa/St Pete area. My husband lived in Orlando before we started dating and prefers this area. We're under an hour away door to parking lot and there are a ton of populous areas within an hour radius on all sides of Orlando.

Criickette · Oct 5, 2016

Tampa was just given to my dh as a possible relocation area. Unfortunately, it is an area that we do not know anything about. We are definitely going to do some homework and check out the Tampa area. What residential areas do you recommend?

Madivan · Oct 6, 2016

Criickette said:
Tampa was just given to my dh as a possible relocation area. Unfortunately, it is an area that we do not know anything about. We are definitely going to do some homework and check out the Tampa area. What residential areas do you recommend?

I'm sure that like anywhere it depends heavily on your income and what you want to spend on a home.

If you are very high income, Davis Island/Harbor Island - avoid South Tampa as it has an older drainage system and floods terribly at a medium rain.

Westchase, Lutz, New Tampa are nice areas.

Riverview/Apollo Beach and Wesley Chapel are the two suburbs that are currently building up and will have brand new housing (one is north and one south).

Avoid Brandon - so many live there now and they've built so many apartments that the traffic is horrendous at any time. I'm not just talking rush hour but 1pm on Tuesday.

I don't know about the schools in all of those as we bought before kids and luckily did move into a great district, so I can't advise there.

Obviously the further east the closer to Disney. Riverview/Apollo Beach would be the closest out of those! I live there and am under an hour from my door to the MK parking lot, although Google Maps says about an hour fifteen.

? For those who have moved to Orlando area

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