I want to move to Disneyland!

[dizneefan13]

... or close to it. We are semi-retired, have a small business we can move anywhere, and I really want to live in the sunshine and live close to the parks and also to all the other cool things southern California has to offer.

If and when this happens, we will rent for at least 6 months before deciding to sell our house and buy in our new location.

What area, closest to Anaheim, would you recommend? Do you live near Disney? Tell me about it, please.

 

[disneycat321]

I'm a former Orange County local. There are LOTS of great areas very close to Disneyland to choose from....but it depends on your budget. Orange County is an extremely expensive area of the country. That's one of the main reasons we left it for northern California.

Anaheim itself is not a city I would recommend. There are some ok areas, but... Anaheim Hills, which is technically still in the Anaheim city limits but is its own area, is very nice. Also pricey. You could go north to Fullerton, but there's a Cal State there so a lot of it is inundated by college students. Orange is nice. We lived in Tustin for a couple years, which is about 15 min from Disneyland....but more during rush hour. I really liked Tustin. It's pretty moderately priced for Orange County, and it's very safe. I miss being able to get to Disneyland within half an hour. Those were the days!

But, like I said, Orange County is expensive. If you want to rent an apartment, expect to easily pay over $1600 for a decent 2 bedroom. Easily. If you want a house, then you'll easily pay over $2500 I would imagine. And that would be for a small house.

But, it is a nice area to live in, and if you can afford it, the proximity to Disneyland is amazing.

 

[dizneefan13]

Disneycat, Thanks for your reply! I think when we are in Anaheim in March we will look around in Tustin and Orange to get an idea of what is available. When we;ve been down there we have visited Orange and think its a place we could live.
I know rentals and real estate will not be cheap. But neither is where we live now. Even if we end up renting for a year or two and getting our fill of going to Disneyland as often as we want to, it will be fulfilling a dream.

 

[lorijohnhill]

Be careful which section of Tustin you look in! I rented an apartment there before I was married. Our secret name for it was "the fiery gates of hell". I could never keep North and South straight when I lived there, but I think we were in the southern part. Very near Santa Ana. The part of Tustin over near where the big shopping centers are is pretty nice though.

As soon as the lease was up (right after our honeymoon), we moved to Huntington Beach. I really liked it there! I felt much safer! Then my husband lost his job, totaled the truck, and I got pregnant, so we moved to Sacramento because it was much cheaper to live. ( and I have family here)

I have to say, I miss living in Orange County though. There is a lot more to see and do... And I'm an ocean girl!

 

[dizneefan13]

Thanks lorijohnhill! We will be very careful what area we rent in. We have driven around Orange and like some of the nice little neighborhoods we saw, close to the old town area. I know its not going to be cheap, but neither is renting hotels near Disneyland for a month or two each year. We are Disney fanatics and really want to live close, at least for a year or two.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I don't blame you! I want to move back! Especially sing I have a child who is also a Disney fanatic. Orange County is a great place to live. So much to see and do! And you can't beat living close to Mickey and the gang.

 

[LizzyS]

If you move into Anaheim Hills and are looking to purchase, there are some geotechnical issues with several of the houses and various lawsuits have been ongoing for decades there, just fyi. Just something to be aware of in that area.

 

[Gisele]

If you move into Anaheim Hills and are looking to purchase, there are some geotechnical issues with several of the houses and various lawsuits have been ongoing for decades there, just fyi. Just something to be aware of in that area.

Geotechnical? What does that mean exactly? Earthquake faults? Head stones being removed from old cemeteries, but not the bodies? Poisons in the soil? Haunted houses? Maybe a combination? It would be fun to have a playful ghostie about, like Casper or much, much better, like James Dean or Rudolph Valentino. Especially Jim Morrison, but his earthly vessel resides in Paris. Maybe his spirit visits his old haunts in Southern California, amongst other locales.