Anyone here moved to Florida mainly for Disney?

[PrincessV]

This is not an area that prides itself on theater or art. It isn't full of museums and I don't even find it to be big on sports.

I'm so glad you brought this up, because I didn't think to mention it... I have to disagree some with you, though. Different regions of FL have populations varying greatly in what they support. The Tampa Bay area, and especially the St. Petersburg/Clearwater areas, are huge supporters of the arts, both visual and performing, as is the Sarasota area. Just to rattle off a few we visit regularly: Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete; Tampa Museum of Art; Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art; Mahaffey Theater; Straz Center; Ruth Eckerd Hall... we also have plenty of professional sports teams around the state, as well as tons of outdoor activities that don't involve sitting on the beach or playing golf or tennis (fishing, hiking, boating, nature conservancy, etc.)

So, for anyone considering the move, think, too, about your personal interests and what you want to find in a community to meet those needs. I can almost guarantee there's a place in FL that has them!

I know that you think you would spend every weekend at WDW. I doubt it. We have APs for WDW and Universal, but we don't spend every weekend there. We go often, but there are so many other things to do beyond the theme parks.

Ditto that. Sure, we're at WDW more often than we would be living in another state, but we're definitely not there every weekend. We, too, have other activities we enjoy, but we're also not on vacation 365 days a year; we have chores and errands and get-togethers and projects that take priority, too.

trouble is i dont like the heat but can tolerate it and we are moving because in my field their is 25 times the work at the same pay as new york area my dw loves the heat and beach. i like fishing and hunting

You sound like ideal Floridians! Plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities in the state, as well as miles and miles and miles of amazing beaches. About the heat: we virtually hibernate from mid-July through Sept. Aside from swimming, we go from air conditioned house, to air conditioned car, to air conditioned building, and back again, lol!

 

[Mickeyistheman]

OP,

I think you just really need to do your research. If I had the means I would move to Florida in a heartbeat. I would never tire of Disney.

A PP said that working as a DVC person it was low wages and if you didn't meet your quota you were out. I work in a business very similiar and we have quotas every month since I too work in sales. That is the point. We don't make a high salary but if we meet our quota Whoa Nellie, we make some good money, not great but very good. You also have to understand that business. I have several friends that recently went down to Disney (3 different families and when they came back each one had bought a DVC! So they are out there you just have to find them and know your pitch they always aren't going to come up to you. I didn't even know what those Kiosks were for!!!

On another note, I have an Aunt and Uncle that live down there and she is a VP in one of their departments. They used to live in Jersey but my Uncle needs a heart transplant so moving to Florida was really the best for him mentally and he has been doing fantastic. He works part time in Hollywood Studios and love his job!! His wife is now the breadwinner which is fine but she makes EXCELLENT money and has all the perks. I have never heard her complain. You have to go in knowing that Disney is a BUSINESS, just like everyone else that works for a large company.

OP good luck and I hope whatever choice you make you are happy!

 

[s&k'smom]

My friend moved with her family to Florida nearly 3 years ago, her husband got his dream job with Disney, he's been very fortunate with them and has done well, they are able to have horses which they couldn't do here in the northeast and enjoy great weather, that being said it's not always easy, the school are not as up to date with special needs as they are here and it's been hard to make friends, they've had to make adjustments, lots of them but in general are happy. I think moving anywhere where it's completely opposite of where you are would be hard in any situation, good luck!

 

[TeresaNJ]

OP,

I think you just really need to do your research. If I had the means I would move to Florida in a heartbeat. I would never tire of Disney.

A PP said that working as a DVC person it was low wages and if you didn't meet your quota you were out. I work in a business very similiar and we have quotas every month since I too work in sales. That is the point. We don't make a high salary but if we meet our quota Whoa Nellie, we make some good money, not great but very good. You also have to understand that business. I have several friends that recently went down to Disney (3 different families and when they came back each one had bought a DVC! So they are out there you just have to find them and know your pitch they always aren't going to come up to you. I didn't even know what those Kiosks were for!!!

On another note, I have an Aunt and Uncle that live down there and she is a VP in one of their departments. They used to live in Jersey but my Uncle needs a heart transplant so moving to Florida was really the best for him mentally and he has been doing fantastic. He works part time in Hollywood Studios and love his job!! His wife is now the breadwinner which is fine but she makes EXCELLENT money and has all the perks. I have never heard her complain. You have to go in knowing that Disney is a BUSINESS, just like everyone else that works for a large company.

OP good luck and I hope whatever choice you make you are happy!

That was me! You're right, if you're a great salesperson, you can make some good money. Problem is, I wasn't. I thought knowing Disney inside & out, plus owning DVC would make it a breeze. I just couldn't figure out how to relay that knowledge to people who were running to get to this attraction or that PS ressie. Also, not to make excuses, even though I am, LOL, you start out on the lowest team, which means the suckiest locations, such as the lobby of POR stuck in the corner. Everyone thinks you are guest services, if they even notice you. Only the Dream Team got to work at DTD, a hop, skip & a jump from the preview center. My point is that you must be realistic about everything before making such a big decision. You can't look at everything through Disney colored glasses.

 

[DisneyCruiser83]

I was born and raised in Tacoma and moved to Tampa when I was 20. I moved because I met DH online and he was very established here and I was still in college. I do not regret moving for that reason, but there are times I really miss the Northwest.
The most drastic things are not seeing my family as often as I would like to, and never having any snow or traditional seasons. I only see my mom when she comes to the East coast for Thanksgiving and I go to see her in the summer. We don't have kids, so you may feel the effects of not having your family close more. Only you know how that will effect your dynamic with your extended family. I am always trying to get my mom to move here, but she likes Washington. The weather may not be as much as a factor for you, but I just thought I would mention it. We do go to North Carolina every year for my birthday and Thanksgiving, so at least I can see the leaves change. There is rain here. It is a tropical area, so think of it like a rain forrest. There is not a constant drizzle, like you are used to but there are spurts where it rain buckets, then stops. There is a common saying "if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes". It is generally nice and warm, but the past two years we have had very cold winters (in the 40's and 50's). Just something to think about.
If you want to be near Disney, but not be on the East coast, Sarasota is a great city with good statistics. There is a public charter school for high achieving students you may want to look at: http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/pvs/ DH and I have been looking at houses, and it is a great time to buy. You can basically get twice as much house for your money now than you could even three or four years ago. If you are going to move, now is a good time to do it.
There are also a lot of other things to do that are not Disney-related. DH and I are season ticket holders to the local theater, there are the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, etc. As well as just regular things like movies, great restaurants, zoos, and parks. But, being a FL resident does give nice perks when looking to go to Disney which is always nice.
As others have said, if you come with realistic expectations that is not Disney Disney Disney all the time and realize that it is just like any other major area with its own set of problems and benefits, you will be able to make the transition just fine.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me. Good luck with your decision!

 

[disneyfans95]

I would never make the move there.

The housing economy is horrible, the crime is thru the roof and the schools are not that great.

You have miserable extreme summers and hurricanes.

All that to be near Disney? I love Disney, but not at that price.

 

[dis-happy]

Food for thought---

I've known several west-coasters (CA) who moved to FL, thinking it would be a laid-back, less expensive version of CA. They all hated it and only lasted a year or two before moving again (most to NC which is how I met them).

 

[Feralpeg]

I would never make the move there.

The housing economy is horrible, the crime is thru the roof and the schools are not that great.

You have miserable extreme summers and hurricanes.

All that to be near Disney? I love Disney, but not at that price.

The housing economy is not good, but is picking up. Crime here is no worse than many, many big cities. There are areas of Orlando that are not safe. I don't frequent those places and never have any worries about safety. Don't believe everything you read on city data or other such sites.

There are some bad schools here, but they are not all bad. If you look at the most recent stats, the schools in Florida have moved up the ladder and are better than those in many other states.

I must disagree about the extreme summers. I have lived in the Orlando area for almost seven years. In that time, the temperature has never exceeded 100 degrees. The heat index has, but not the actual temperature. I moved here from the Midwest where, each year, we had a least a couple of weeks of above 100 degree temperatures. Yes, we have high humidity days. So do other parts of the country. The thing you must remember is that people who live here don't spend all their time outside. We go outside for awhile and then go back in our air conditioned homes. No problem! People tend to equate all of Florida with what they experience visiting the theme parks in summer. It's not the same at all. Walking around on heat soaked pavement for hours is not the norm for people living here!

As for hurricanes, they are not a big deal unless you live on the coast. My first year here was 2004. That was the year we had three hurricanes hit the Orlando area within a month. There was a lot of damage, but that was because people had not maintained their roofs and trees. Orlando had not had a hurricane for 40 years prior to 2004. Since 2004, we have not had a hurricane. We've had a couple of tropical storms, but they are nothing...just a bunch of rain. Don't let the threat of hurricanes scare you away from Florida. I was much more afraid of the tornadoes in the Midwest than I am of hurricanes here!

 

[Feralpeg]

I must say that the biggest disappointment I've had living in Florida is the lack of real Baskin Robbins ice cream stores. We only have those in a Dunkin Donuts and they only carry a few flavors of ice cream. I so miss my 31 Flavors! We also have pretty bad barbecue (I came from Kansas City and am a true barbecue fan)! Those are my only regrets about living in Florida!

 

[Orlando313]

I must say that the biggest disappointment I've had living in Florida is the lack of real Baskin Robbins ice cream stores. We only have those in a Dunkin Donuts and they only carry a few flavors of ice cream. I so miss my 31 Flavors! We also have pretty bad barbecue (I came from Kansas City and am a true barbecue fan)! Those are my only regrets about living in Florida!

Oh don't get me started on barbecue! I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, and I MISSSSSSSS barbecue so badly!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took us forever to find good Mexican food here too.

 

[palmtreegirl]

We moved down almost 6 years ago because of the weather and the fact that we both love the state.

You couldn't pay me to move back up north, I *love* it here.

 

[PatriciaH]

We lived in Celebration for nearly 6 years and moved back to MA last year for a good job. Mainly for the benefits-medical, dental and vision paid for 100% by my husbands company, 100% 401k match, pension, generous vacation/PTO, etc. Very hard to find that in Florida-even at Disney. DH and I had been mainly contract and temp positions at Disney and it was getting very frustrating. The departments we were in wanted to hire us and could not get the budget.

We liked Celebration a lot but when we left there were many empty homes, foreclosures, condos being broken into by teens to party- and they were one of the better towns around. Lots of turnaround with businesses-nothing really stayed the same or had the same owners for long. Very strange for us when DH grew up in MA and I grew up in NYC and you have the same businesses and neighbors around for 20+ year Florida is very transient. The AMC theater in Celebration just closed. Sad.

I like Winter Park and Dr. Phillips and would consider being snowbirds when we are a little older. I usually liked the weather in the winter but the past two years were cold for months. 30's and 40's- and it is a damp chilling cold. The summer is brutal and gets worse every year. I never got used to it and I LOVE the heat and sun.

I agree there is not as much culture as up north. Schools are not as good. Theater is not as good. Sports are not as big deal if that is your thing. There is plenty to do. Having the parks close is nice. Traffic is awful at peak times. Drivers are aggressive.

Groceries, electric, insurance are all sky high. Property taxes in Celebration were crazy. Crime was awful when we left. Unemployment was SO bad. Lots of panhandelers when we moved. It will just keep getting worse everywhere if jobs do not come back. Lots of people come to FL since it is warm and wind up stuck. Our friends that worked across from Downtown Disney said there was a guy living in a tent in the woods back there for months!

Oh one more thing-there are many hourly positions at WDW that pay more than $10/hour! Writers for Eyes and Ears, Admins can make $12-$20+, Special Events, PR, marketing, graphic artists on contract can make $40+, etc. There are a lot of hourly jobs in Celebration Place, Sun Trust and Team Disney. The trick is standing out among the thousands of other cast applying And keeping the job-lots of layoffs/cuts all the time.

 

[Maleficient]

and a huge part of that was for WDW LOVE Tampa Bay - the sports and arts scene are amazing and always a good concert coming to town. Moved with 3 kids to the South Tampa area after doing a ton of research and finding the schools to have the best reputation and ratings. One hour 10 minutes to the WDW gates.....can you beat that??? Love the weather - if its hot, everything has AC and you can always search for a place with a pool. Lucky to work for big corporations so salaries not really affected by moving from Northeast to FL. Cost of living about the same for us compared to upstate NY - maybe a little more as we do so much more! Just moved last summer before my oldest started high school - wouldn't move back for anything! I say do your research and go for it (as long as you have the job that is portable...) Why stay where you aren't happy?

 

[LisaR]

I would never make the move there.

The housing economy is horrible, the crime is thru the roof and the schools are not that great.

You have miserable extreme summers and hurricanes.

All that to be near Disney? I love Disney, but not at that price.

I'm not a huge fan of living in FL but what you said could describe pretty much anyplace in the USA. In the case of crime and schools, there are much worse places to live.

Food for thought---



I've known several west-coasters (CA) who moved to FL, thinking it would be a laid-back, less expensive version of CA. They all hated it and only lasted a year or two before moving again (most to NC which is how I met them).

Until you posted this, I hadn't really thought about it but everyone I know that moved here from the west coast HATES living here while the people I know from the midwest or east coast either love it or tolerate it. I have had a lot of west coasters say exactly what you wrote. They thought it would be a cheaper version of the west coast and they were so wrong.

I am in the "I tolerate it" category. I don't hate it and there are certainly some good things about it. I also feel I can be happy anywhere my DH and kids are. However, I can't imagine ever moving someplace for an amusement park. My teens have pretty busy lives right now and Disney is a very low priority for them.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I know two examples. One was a police officer who got a divorce moved to Kissimee (sp) from New Jersey and now works security at WDW full time. The money isn't great, but he makes a living and lives modestly in a mobile home community and loves it there.

The other is a couple with college aged kids who moved out from upstate NY. She got a job as an assistant in a day care and he drives a bus full time at WDW. They sold their house in NY for a lot of money and bought a small place in Winter Haven. They also love it there.

Both moved there to be close to WDW, which they love.

 

[JVelasquez]

I live in New England but my dream is to live in Florida. Not only bc I love Disney (and I would be there everyday off I had) but I love the warm weather! Living in New England there is not much to do especially in the winter. I'm not a big fan of snow or the cold at all and once Summer finally gets here it's gone before you know it. Florida is beautiful and green all year round and as much as we would miss our family I know they would visit is often and we would do the same.

 

[lastminutemom]

A couple of quick thoughts.

I can hardly imagine two places more different than Florida and Washington State. Nearly in every way.

Second, you need to ask yourselves how will you handle being across the country from your family. Will you be able to afford to be able to go to all family occasions both happy and sad? Can you handle missing such events? I have friends in Atlanta, where people really are from everywhere, who years later are still saddened by not being able to be there for an ill parent or sibling.

Finally, I live in metro Atlanta where there are lots of Florida transplants relocating. I think Florida is not as easy living as some would have you believe.

One other thought, as others have pointed out. The lower cost of living comes with lower salaries and often much lower benefits.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i would love to move closer to Disney. however, my family is all local here. so, even if we were to move, we would be less than a day's drive from our family. i cannot imagine moving across the country from my entire family for Disney. your children deserve to have that relationship with their family. and while you can try to stay close, the truth is, if you are on the opposite side of the country, those relationships will suffer for it.

i wouldn't move my kids away from their family for an amusement park. it's one thing if you have a great job offer and really have no choice. but for park(s)? no.

 

[Creekermom]

We've gone to WDW 07' 09' '10 w/trip tentatively planned for 9/2011
We have also contemplated about moving there near Orlando or the suburbs if hubby's employer would build a plant there as my hubby is in upper management.
I work for a large retail pharmacy chain & would transfer & apply to be PT at WDW... Wishful thinking. Family friends of mine grew up in FL & her hubby works for them & they go to the parks all the time.

 

[ethanwa]

Hi all, original poster here. The replies to this are fantastic. We haven't moved to Florida yet (and won't make the decision for at least 2 years) but it's still on our minds. We're going on a 14-day trip to WDW in a few weeks and two of those days will actually be driving around looking at housing, driving to Tampa, and getting a feel for the state. We've been there in the extreme heat and humidity (early Sept) and now at the coldest time (late Jan) so it's a good contrast. We actually didn't mind the heat/humidity on our last trip, and we're from Seattle!

To give more context, I will not be looking for a job or getting at job at Disney. I think some of the posters we're confused thinking I was moving there for a job at Disney.... not true. I actually work from home, and can do so from anywhere in the world, as I'm a mobile platforms software developer (think iPhone, Android, etc) and make a really good living from it. So a job in FL is not an issue at all.

Also, some people said "what about AZ or TX". My parents actually own a "snowbird" house in AZ and there are a few reasons I would never live there. The major one being that it's extremely dry, and my eyes get really red, itchy, and bad in dry climates. I can't last more than 3 days in AZ, or Vegas, or wherever in dry areas. So FL is perfect for me in that way. Also I would never live in CA (at least the LA area) because of the vast city for miles and miles. San Francisco is a maybe.

And for the person who said Seattle was great because you can be near Portland and all of CA? Yeah right.... Portland is OK, very boring, and still 3 hour drive away. California is a plane trip no matter what. Just San Francisco is still a day+ drive. If I'm going to get on a plane to go somewhere, might as well be Florida. Outside of Portland/Seattle/Vancouver BC, there is nothing. Literally.

Anyway, thank you all for the advice and I will keep it in mind. Two things do hold us back so far:

1. Family. We'd miss them and only be able to visit once or twice a year. I'd assume that for Christmas we'd come back to Seattle for two weeks. And maybe in the summer as well.

2. Schools. We live in Bellevue, WA currently, which has some of the greatest schools in the country. If we can find somewhere in FL with good schools, that will take it off our list. We're looking at the Windermere area right now.

Feel free to add more advice!

Ethan