Florida residents, are you grateful?

[libmil]

Susy,
Hi...I live sooo close by.. Me and my hubby live on the east side, behind Publix in the Hollywood Mall...

 

[Carol]

Thank you for this thread. We've asked to be transferred to the Orlando area with my husbands job. Reading these great responses just confirms everything we've wondered about living there. Having the ability to go as often as we want, we hope won't take away any of the magic.

 

[cruisnfamily]

We live about 2 1/2 hours away. We go once a year usually for 3-5 days max. There were several years we went 2 or 3 times a year but we don't do that anymore as we have discovered the Disney Cruise Line {which the kids ADORE} and there are just other places we want to go as well.

We are buying the play4days passes for our trip in early June knowing full well we will only use 2 of the 4 days and the others will probably be wasted. We're going for 3 full days and are planning one day as a resort day followed by an afternoon/evening at Disney Quest. Every time we go we do something we've never done before. This trip we will do Hoop De Doo Revue, Disney Quest, and Family Magic Tour. These are firsts for our family. We keep the magic for fading away (you know that "burn out" thing) by doing new things mixed with old favorites every trip.

We used to stay offsite but now it is onsite only! We're on a mission to try all the hotels at least once. So far CSR is our favorite!

You'd be surprised how many of our friends and family (who live here in FL) don't go to Disney regularly. DD knows several kids at school and in the neighborhood that have NEVER been to Disney...can you believe it?

In response to the question, we are very grateful for the deals we get on resorts and passes and ESPECIALLY grateful for the FL Res specials on DCL which make it very, very affordable.

 

[webray]

We love living near WDW (3 hours away right now)....but we have found that Disney seems to not appreciate it's residents lately. We were staying on property an average of 2 times a month for long weekends...we have since stopped this. We have been checked into dirty rooms 4 times in a row...checked into the worst located rooms (whether we pay for preferred or not).

My husband told me I don't complain enough to the managers when things happen...that's why we get less than acceptable treatment.

 

[DisneyBoy2000]

Well I been visiting Walt Disney World since 1993, since then being going every year. Lately twice a year. (I was 11 years old in 93). I am not a Florida Resident yet, but in January we bought a house at Celebration and I will be so happy leaving in the magic. Of course I will take advantage of the benefits. The Resort that I like a lot is Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[Feralpeg]

My sister, DD and I will be moving to the Windermere area in Orlando next year when my sister and I both retire. I can't wait. We will be only a few minutes from the parks. I want to be able to go and just take in the sights. When we go now, we always feel like we have to go full tilt our entire trip. It will be great to be able to attend whenever I feel like it!

 

[Pig Pen]

My retired parents live 55 minutes from Disney and they have given us a building lot next to their house. So, sometime in the future we will be living near WDW!

I will still spend the night since I am a DVC owner, but what a joy it will be to just hop in the car and zip over! I cannot wait.

 

[genmasjoy]

I have enjoyed going to Disney for years, and our purchase at the Old Key West several years ago has made it even better. When our son was little, he seemed to think it was his constitutional right to go to Disney several times a year, and I have to say, we indulged him. He recently got married and spent his honeymoon, where else, with the Mouse! His bride hadn't been to Disney for about ten years, and so he asked me to please give her an AP as a wedding gift, which we were happy to do.

 

[jeannej]

I love living in Florida and Disney has very little to do with why I love Florida. I do miss being able to drive to DW in less than an hour when I lived in Winter Haven as a teenager. I like being able to hop in the car from Broward County and be at DW or USF in three hours.

We go twice a year. One trip to DW and one trip to US/IOA.
I can't see the need to go more than that. That's just my opinion.

jeannej

 

[firecracker]

...we should all move to Florida! I'm all for it!

So, what's the job market like? I assume that there are many, many service jobs that don't pay a lot of money. So, what do a factory worker and a teacher do in Florida to make enough money to survive? DH's used to good-paying manual labor jobs here in the industrial midwest and I've heard that most jobs in FL are really low-paying.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by firecracker
...we should all move to Florida! I'm all for it!

So, what's the job market like? I assume that there are many, many service jobs that don't pay a lot of money. So, what do a factory worker and a teacher do in Florida to make enough money to survive? DH's used to good-paying manual labor jobs here in the industrial midwest and I've heard that most jobs in FL are really low-paying.

This is true. There aren't many "factory" type jobs. Teaching is a pretty portable profession, like nursing, but of course you'd have to get your license, which is probably something you'd want to start working on in advance.

In our case DH has made arrangements to telecommute and keep his current job, which makes life easy. We are both I/T professionals at this point, however my background and true love is marketing, which is portable between industries and geographical areas, and there's always marketing jobs to be had. Of course I could always stay in I/T, and because he carries all the insurance I can consult which generally pays more than "permanent" positions do. I also have experience in communications and banking, so I'm not worried about finding a position, and understand that I'll likely take a 25-50% pay cut.

Anne

 

[susy]

Remember that the cost of living is lower and even within FL there are big differences in salaries/cost of living.

Housing prices have gone up so much, that most middle income families will have a hard time affording an average 3/2 home in a middle class neighborhood (with both people working).

Our situation is somewhat unique. Dh and I are both in our mid-thirties. He is a construction (pipefitter) foreman making about 60K. I have a BS, but have stayed at home with our DS , who will be starting free (yeah) kindergarten in the fall. I have applied to a masters plus certification program (for teaching) for the fall and it will take about 2 years. We decided to do this, because there is NO money in teaching preschool (about $10 an hour at best) and if I go back to that, I will be no better off in two years than I am now. How on earth does DH take care of us on 60K??
Here is where we differ from most people we know. I bought a 2/2 condo when I was single (for very cheap compared to what it is worth now), so our mortgage is ridiculously low. We still live here and never had any other kids (not our choice)- so it is big for the three of us. We have our IRA's, and our son's college is taken care of, too . We also have a vacation fund. No debt. Okay, so I still have old furniture. I would rather have memories of my son in Disney than memories of ... a couch.
When I am done with school, I have no idea what we will do with the extra money. Maybe buy a house or take more vacations???? Maybe both!

 

[Richyams]

We don't go that often. For the first four years down here, our vacations didn't change one bit. We still went for twelve nights, either October or first two weeks of December. I was surprised by that. I really thought moving here would change that faster.

The last two years have seen us taking long weekends....about six over the last two years. The seasonal pass is great, real great.

The jobs do not pay as much down here. Luckily, our reason for moving down here was for my wife to take an executive position with a large television company. There is an upside, two years ago I decided to start a computer company. I pay techs less than half of what I would have to pay in New York....I also can't really charge as much, but in the end, low cost labor is nice....at least for me.

 

[mco-missy]

YES! I am very grateful to live only 40-50 minutes from Disney. I have a seasonal annual pass. My fiance had not been to Disney since 1973. Well, I quickly changed that. We both have annual passes now. We like to take 3 day weekend trips out there and , yes, we stay on-site. It's nice to get away for the weekend without having to fly or drive long distances.
As far as getting burned out, my nieces (ages 10 & 12) don't like to go very often. They say it's too much work to get there!! Can you believe how spoiled they are. They really don't understand that people save for years to come to Disney. But, I did stay with them for four days at ASM and they really enjoyed that. I think we just were going to Disney too much and we get so tired and then have to drive home and someone always gets into trouble for arguing or fighting. It's hard to go there and not do "everything"- even with us being so close.
I do enjoy being able to go out there whenever I want. Unfortunately, I work every other weekend so my fiance and I are only able to get out there about once every three months. Hopefully we will be able to go more often when the wedding planning is done! We are planning a three day "extra" honeymoon there after our real honeymoon.
Sorry to be so long but I love to talk about Disney World!

 

[denman007]

My bro lives about 10 mins from Disney. He is sick of it. He never goes, even when I visit. That might change now that they have a little one.

I guess after 15 years of living 10 mins away, it can get old.

 

[susy]

A lot of people I have talked to (in FL) are sick of wdw.

We have to remember that most of us grew up doing one day or overnight trips. We would do the MK on a Saturday, stay all day with LONG waits , crowds, and heat, and drive to some offsite place to sleep with no magic. By the end of the day, the good and bad kind of canceled each other out .

Now things are a little different with more onsite hotels, fastpass and more parks to visit. Most people I know don't even go to other parks and they call the MK "Disney world". They can't understand all the fuss.

I wasn't thrilled with the idea of going, but wanted to take my son. We waited until he was four (I regret that now) and found these boards about 6 months before our trip. All the tips and discounts we found made it so much better that we've been 7 times in a little over a year. I know people still don't believe me when I tell them we never wait in lines . Also, the concept of going back to the resort for a swim break is foreign to most- but essential to me!

Can't wait till our next trip- Thanksgiving at the WL- it's soooo far away! My mom is going to the BWI May 2-with a POFQ upgrade (total of 116.00 a night including tax!). We never get that lucky!

 

[lookingforward]

Susy, I would love to know where you are going to get your masters/certification. I am really thinking about teaching after being a news reporter for years, then a social worker, and now a stay at home mom. It sounds like we live in the same area (I live in Boca). I think that you are smart keeping it simple and enjoying the world around you. I definately agree that trips to disney mean MUCH more than a new couch or possession. Thats why teaching appeals to me, time for my kids and time to enjoy them as they grow. Good luck with school!

 

[susy]

Boca? That's perfect!!!!! Florida Atlantic University has a masters plus certifcation program for those who have a Bachelors in another area and want to get into teaching. You can also just do the courses to get certified, but I like the idea of getting actual degree (plus the higher salary when you get hired). It's a total of 69 credits. I will be going to the Davie campus, but the main campus is in Boca. The requirements were pretty lax: 3.0 GPA and 800 on the GRE, no letters of recommendation, no interview, no essay. If your GRE is older than 5 years, you must take it again, but you can appeal and they do accept it most of the time. I appealed and it was nothing to it. Your score has to be at least 1000 (mine was 1010-ha) if you appeal. I have an undergrad GPA of 3.8, so I don't know if that was taken into account. The advisor I spoke with made it sound like a sure thing if you appeal. If you have not taken the GRE, don't worry. Get the Kapaln books and study your butt off. An 800 is not a hard score to get. After all, I got over 1000 and it was still a horrible score. The next test is in October. You can take classes as a non-degre seeking student while you are going through the application process and it will go towrds your degree when you are accepted. The total cost for all this should be about 10-12K, but it's worth it. We will have to get a loan, but if I don't do something, I'll be stuck making ten bucks an hour forever! Get the Financial Aid application and fill it out as well.

Back on topic......

How many of you have friends/family in FL who just hate Disney because they have gone too many times??? I love the discounts and hope they stay around for a long time!

 

[currycook]

We really enjoy living in Floirda and try to take advantage of all the tourist opportunites. Especially in September and May which seem to be great months when the "other" tourist are not here and there are lots of Florida discounts.
WDW can get a little old even for someone like me that loves the place. My parents took me to Disneyland on a vacation to California back in the 1950's (I was just a pup out of the womb) and I guess I have loved it ever since. What we do to keep the magic fresh is get an annual pass every other year. That seems to give us a break and rebuilds the excitment. However, even though I get tired of it at times, my kids NEVER do! I have come to enjoy the resturants and the resorts more than the theme parks. My DW has become a hidden mickey freak and enjoys finding the hidden mickey's which are really everywhere. WDW is a great family time for us. And to be tottally turthful my DW and I go there so much because its just great family time together. It allows us to interact and spend great quality family time together. In our society today families seem to be spending more time apart, WDW gives you that quality family time together. At least it does for our family.

 

[Ziggie]

Carol, you're welcome ~ nice to meet you!

It's great to see so many Florida residents take advantage of the great deals. We've spent so many milestones at WDW that it definitely has become a very important part of our family.

Rock on Floridians!