Does anyone LIVE at Disney as a fulltime guest?

[MsDisney23]

There are squatters living at the back of POP Century where it was never finished. I see this one lady every year I go.

 

[GovieMom]

...one could stay for about $4500 a month - which is equivalent to a mortgage for some.

 

[heaven2dc]

There are squatters living at the back of POP Century where it was never finished. I see this one lady every year I go.

Seriously?!!

 

[Golf4food]

There used to be a rumour about a family who lived in the GF. It was a pretty elaborate rumour and I don't remember it all, something about being a princess from a Middle Eastern country, etc...

 

[jayandstacey]

When I originally asked the question, I hadn't quite considered all the permutations to this.

1. Reedy Creek - yes, I imagine that the State laws regarding incorporated areas (such as Reedy Creek) would require some sort of residency, at least for some aspects like voting rights. And so for Reedy Creek to pass a law, it would need votes and to have votes you need residents. And as pointed out, the ideal is to have few 'like minded' residents, thus the unique power of Reedy Creek. Any experts on this?

2. Squatters - interesting point! Yet i find it very hard to believe, given my rudimentary knowledge of squatter laws, that Disney would allow true squatting anywhere on property for even a second. Someone squats, gets title to the land, then needs egress...next thing you know, Disney has a lein on a major road... I strongly doubt there are known squatters on Disney property.

3. Disney responsibility - I suspect the major reason for preventing anyone to stay long enough in one place in WDW to be considered a permenent resident is that Reedy Creek then takes on some responsibility for that person - I'm not sure what, but for instance providing voting rights into the Reedy leadership, giving them different rights to sue Reedy or maybe giving Reedy certain health and welfare responsibilities (fire/police/mail service etc) that it isn't prepared to give except to a chosen very few.

4. Money - So lets say someone stays at the GF permanently and pays $400 per night. Thats $12,000 per month, or about $144,000 per year. If you had savings of $15 million, that GF room accounts for less than 1% of your total savings. That's sustainable. Another 1% for expenses - and you're living off 2% of your money, which you can make 2% in CDs. So a person with $15m could, in theory, live perpetually in the GF. And while few of us has $15m banked, it isn't unheard of that some do.

So assuming that the few who do live on property are deep in the WDW inner circle - what do they do? How and where do they live?

Here's my guess, tell me if I'm wrong. I'm basing my guess on how campuses often do this: There is a handful of nice clustered houses, near the property edge. The residents are probably attorney types that are required to make Reedy Creek exist - ones that are paid well enough that any inconveniece of being in those houses is overcome with money. I suspect the houses are not completely owned - maybe leased or maybe Disney is part owner or maybe the house is owned but the land isn't - so that the property can't fall outside the Disney control. The residents are served by neighboring infrastructure (mail/police/etc) by agreement and probably through some payment means.

That's my GUESS. I really have no idea. But I find the concept interesting, much like the idea that Hoffa is buried in Giants Stadium.

 

[mickeymom55]

Some time ago we spoke with a CM who told us that there are people who live on property. Yes, it has something to do with Reedy Creek having it's own government - the Disney company set it up with the state of Florida so they could have more control over their property. He said that the people who live on property are mostly "trusted and loyal" former employees who are retired from the company. He did say that some (very few) current employees are on property 24/7 for emergency on call. He said they technically have voting rights on behalf of the property but that's where the trusted and loyal part comes in - it's whatever the company wants. I could live with that!

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I think there are a few private residences on bay lake?

 

[hearts8701]

back in the 80's i think it was the 80's when hulk hogan was filming for disney it was a series called thunder something i can't remember the name he was staying at GF with his family the whole time he was filming the series he would come to the pool with his family and talk to the guest his daughter brooke and son nick were swimming and playing with all the kids in the pool.

 

[PSUGuy]

Some time ago we spoke with a CM who told us that there are people who live on property. Yes, it has something to do with Reedy Creek having it's own government - the Disney company set it up with the state of Florida so they could have more control over their property. He said that the people who live on property are mostly "trusted and loyal" former employees who are retired from the company. He did say that some (very few) current employees are on property 24/7 for emergency on call. He said they technically have voting rights on behalf of the property but that's where the trusted and loyal part comes in - it's whatever the company wants. I could live with that!

As I recall from the documentary I saw that mentioned this, the residents were more that just trusted, loyal former employees, they were current Disney board members and company officers. This could have changed since the showing, I saw this well over 10 years ago, I've been going to WDW longer than that and I had little interest in Disney at the time the documentary aired.

Another interesting thing pointed out in the show was the presence of Disney security who pose as common tourists and mingle with the crowd without our knowledge. I've made a game over the years of trying to spot these folks and I'm pretty sure I've 'made' a few.

Bill From PA

 

[chartle]

Its pretty well laid out here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District

and particularly here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District#Governance

I find this really interesting

A five-member Board of Supervisors governs the District, elected by the landowners of the District. These members, senior employees of The Walt Disney Company, each own undeveloped five-acre (20,235 m²) lots of land within the District, the only land in the District not technically controlled by Disney or used for public road purposes. The only residents of the District, also Disney employees or their immediate family members, live in two small communities, one in each city. In the 2000 census, Bay Lake had 23 residents, all in the community on the north shore of Bay Lake, and Lake Buena Vista had 16 residents, all in the community about a mile north of Downtown Disney. These residents elect the officials of the cities, but since they don't actually own any land, they don't have any power in electing the District Board of Supervisors.

I thought this kind of stuff went out with Poll Taxes and Voting rights laws.

 

[jayandstacey]

As I recall from the documentary I saw that mentioned this, the residents were more that just trusted, loyal former employees, they were current Disney board members and company officers. This could have changed since the showing, I saw this well over 10 years ago, I've been going to WDW longer than that and I had little interest in Disney at the time the documentary aired.

Another interesting thing pointed out in the show was the presence of Disney security who pose as common tourists and mingle with the crowd without our knowledge. I've made a game over the years of trying to spot these folks and I'm pretty sure I've 'made' a few.

Bill From PA

hi PSU guy

Yeah, I kind of figured the residents were high on the chain, and that the use of the residence would be part of the employment contract. I'd expect officers, I'd doubt board members...only because the typical board member is from an outside company - but I'm confident the Disney board is unique in many ways, maybe this is one.

As for security, yeah that makes sense and I'll have to play that game too. People who shop but never buy, people who go but never do, people who's head point one way but their eyes another. Always a fun game to play in the malls!!!

 

[brerrabbit]

Can't remember if I read it, or saw it on a behind the scenes show, but my understanding is that on one of the back roads on property there is a small area that is essentially a trailer park with 10 to 15 "residents". I don't know who they are or how they got to live there but the idea was that since Reedy Creek was it's own governmental entity that they had to have residents to govern. These people whoever they are were fully vetted by Disney and perhaps compensated by Disney so that when issues came up that demand a public vote within Reedy Creek that they would always do what Disney wanted. On a trip a number of years ago we drove all around the property and actually found an area that fit the description above. As I understand since Reedy Creek is subject to certain laws and rules for a governmental entity per the Florida constitution that every once in a while to do something they want they have to have a vote. Therefore by definition you would have to have at least some residents to have that vote.

 

[jayandstacey]

Its pretty well laid out here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District

and particularly here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District#Governance

I find this really interesting



I thought this kind of stuff went out with Poll Taxes and Voting rights laws.

yeah, that is really interesting. So a handful own land but don't live there - they elect the board of supervisors. Another handful lives on property but doesn't own the land - and they have different voting rights.

The interesting thing is that laws that did away with poll taxes and voting rights and all that still apply here - Disney's just done a fabulous job of understanding the difference between resident rights and landowner rights - and set up its own city, and put everything in place before new laws could tear it apart.

The landowners and residents have just as many rights as any other town landowner or resident - just that in this case, a company controls all the property and thus gets to decide who those people are - with the result, of course, that the company benefits from their excercise of rights.

So clearly, Disney needs to move guests around lest they become residents and thus pick up rights in Reedy Creek.

 

[jayandstacey]

Can't remember if I read it, or saw it on a behind the scenes show, but my understanding is that on one of the back roads on property there is a small area that is essentially a trailer park with 10 to 15 "residents". I don't know who they are or how they got to live there but the idea was that since Reedy Creek was it's own governmental entity that they had to have residents to govern. These people whoever they are were fully vetted by Disney and perhaps compensated by Disney so that when issues came up that demand a public vote within Reedy Creek that they would always do what Disney wanted. On a trip a number of years ago we drove all around the property and actually found an area that fit the description above. As I understand since Reedy Creek is subject to certain laws and rules for a governmental entity per the Florida constitution that every once in a while to do something they want they have to have a vote. Therefore by definition you would have to have at least some residents to have that vote.

you know, and lets say you didn't live there full time, but...you were a Disney executive and spent a lot of time on property.

You have a trailer - maybe it is nice, maybe it isn't. You make that your home base for weeks at a time, maybe 5 months of the year. Your employment contract says you claim that as a primary residence for tax reasons. (is that the trigger that makes them a 'citizen' of reedy creek?) You actually spend many nights in hotels around the property as rooms are available - but you get your mail and leave mostof your 'stuff' at the trailer.

I can imagine this. It is essentially life out of a suitcase but that's normal for many execs.

 

[chartle]

Can't remember if I read it, or saw it on a behind the scenes show, but my understanding is that on one of the back roads on property there is a small area that is essentially a trailer park with 10 to 15 "residents". I don't know who they are or how they got to live there but the idea was that since Reedy Creek was it's own governmental entity that they had to have residents to govern. These people whoever they are were fully vetted by Disney and perhaps compensated by Disney so that when issues came up that demand a public vote within Reedy Creek that they would always do what Disney wanted. On a trip a number of years ago we drove all around the property and actually found an area that fit the description above. As I understand since Reedy Creek is subject to certain laws and rules for a governmental entity per the Florida constitution that every once in a while to do something they want they have to have a vote. Therefore by definition you would have to have at least some residents to have that vote.

Based upon the descriptions given in my PP it looks like here is the "community" north of bay lake.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.as...832&lvl=19&sty=h&where1=Walt Disney World, FL

And if you zoom in or go to birds eye they appear to be double wides.

This may be the one north of DTD.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.as...467&lvl=18&sty=h&where1=Walt Disney World, FL

They look nicer and have a community pool. Maybe the ones off of Bay lake can use the CR pool.

 

[jensen]

I was doing laundry at POP one day and I was talking to this woman who told me that her daughter worked for Disney and they came down each winter - stayed for a month using her daughters discount and then went home for a couple weeks and came back for another month...

Another interesting thing pointed out in the show was the presence of Disney security who pose as common tourists and mingle with the crowd without our knowledge. I've made a game over the years of trying to spot these folks and I'm pretty sure I've 'made' a few.

One time we were in line for a character greeting when all of a sudden they took the character away and some "security" people - both in uniform and plain clothes - came with dogs and started to check out a soft-sided cooler that was sitting under a bench with no people around. Turns out it wasn't a bomb - just some family's lunch.

What was neat about it was that they were very subtle about the whole thing. Honestly, we didn't even fully realize what was going on until DH and I talked about it later that day.

It was pretty neat to see how those plain clothes security people - they were in shorts and sunglasses with fanny packs - blend right in... I would have never known they weren't guests like myself... and it made me feel very safe knowing there is that much security in those parks.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Wayne.
He lives above the fire station.

I love that book. I really need to get #2.

I think it would ruin the magic to live there. It's special and wonderful trip because it's not every day.

 

[jayandstacey]

Maybe the ones off of Bay lake can use the CR pool.

Maybe the double-wides come with a refillable mug!

So all this explains why guests CAN'T stay too long, at least not in one place.

The de-annexation of Celebration is telling- to simply jettison a whole town so the pesky residents can't have a say in the rest of the property. I think we have our answer to the question regarding Disney building true condos - not timeshares - on property.

 

[jayandstacey]

I think it would ruin the magic to live there. It's special and wonderful trip because it's not every day.

I think that kind of depends.

lets say you retire but don't want to sit around. So you retire to go take a job at WDW. Cashier, front gate, whatever. Yes, it will become a J-O-B, with ups and downs. But you're still mostly surrounded by people that are in their happiest moments. And if you have to choose how to spend your days, is this so bad?

Not for everyone I understand. And it wouldn't be the same as taking a trip. But, you gotta do something so why not be a CM?

 

[BradyBz12]

There are folks (typically snowbirds) that camp at Fort Wilderness through the winter for months at a time. Some are regulars. They're easy to spot this time of year as they're typically the folks with the ENORMOUS decoration displays!

FW used to actually offer long-term rates for people like this, but those days are long gone. Now that rates fluctuate daily (higher on weekends/holidays) and holiday rates have gone through the roof, the number of people doing this seems to be dwindling.

You have to book multiple reservations to do it (IIRC the system will only let you put in 30 days at a time) and I heard they instituted a limit of something like 6 mos. at some point in the not-too-distant past.

We actually have a campsite booked for the whole month of November next year.