If you could live minutes away from Disney World would you?

[Savsmommy]

We are only about a 2- 2 1/2 hour drive from Disney World. DH and I have talked about moving to Orlando. We always say if were bored on the weekend we could just shoot over to Disney in minutes. As much as I would love taking my kids all the time I wonder if it would be a little too much. Right now we try to go at least twice a year. (Although now we just got the seasonal pass.) I just love how excited my DD is right now counting the days until we go and telling everyone she sees how she is going to Disney in X amount of days. Would living so close and going all the time take away all that excitement? Just wanted to see what you all thought.

P.S. Sorry if this has been asked before

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

I myself would love to be able to visit WDW more often...every 2-3 years,but living just minutes away would take away much of the "magic" of planning the trips,anticipation, etc..! I think you are probably in the best situation now with just being 2 hours away and being able to plan your trips twice a year....lucky you !!!!

 

[lustergirl]

This is my dream when I retire. I plan on moving to Orlando for half of the year during the north's cold winter months and working at disney part-time. Aaahhhhhhh- one can dream!!!!!!!!!

 

[Eeyore77]

I had a job interview in Orlando a while back and I can say that if I got the job that would be a dream come true. I would love to live that close to WDW..

 

[penguingirlie]

I have a friend who lives a few miles from Disney. She said she went to the parks a lot at first but then it lost its magic. She said she only goes a few times but is so sad that the magic was taken away.

 

[safetymom]

I live 12 miles from the parks and being that close has been wonderful. It hasn't taken away any of the magic. I can pop over whenever I want. I went over 80 times last year and it is still magical to me.

 

[Andrea]

i wouldnt want to either, i love it as a "vaction"

 

[wwtbamrob]

Not picking on you Savsmommy, but it struck me as odd that someone who lives relatively close is pondering moving even closer.

This Summer, for the first time in 17 years, I'm going to be out of work due to a company downsizing. Right now I'm in the stage of trying to decide what direction I want my life to go. As far as geography, I'm considering 3 options:

1. Staying in the current area

2. Moving to Orlando

3. Moving to somewhere around Gainesville, FL. Figuring if I was within a couple hours drive of the magic I would go regularly (once a month or so).

Of course, all are dependent on being able to find a job.

Anyway, I'm interested to see the responses you get, especially from those that do live in the general area of the parks.

Rob

 

[beaker]

Last year we moved from Alabama to Orlando and we loved it! My son was 4yr and we went to WDW or Universal about once a week. The other days we went to our apartment pool. My DH's job was for only a year and now we live on the space coast. We have only gone to WDW once this year with one trip planned for March. But today in the car my son started sing Imagination and asked me if we could go see Figment so I don't think the magic has gone for us.

 

[Twingle]

I can honestly say that if I lived minutes away from Disney World I would, but I would also work there - and still would probably visit there.

Love the whole experience. A dear friend of mine was a landscaper at MK for several years, and moved here because of her husbands work. She LOVED it, and they often went for day trips. It was still totally magical for her, even after working there for years. They've lived in Virginia for almost 15 years, and she still talks about how much she wishes she still worked at MK and could visit anytime she wanted!

 

[laura001]

I would like to live about 4 hours away from WDW, that way I would live where it is warm all year long, and when I want to go to WDW we could still stay there instead of driving back and forth.

 

[CALNEVA DISNEYFANS]

I just bought a couple of homes out there (retirement plan). I hope to move out to FL in the next 10 -15 years, retire, and work part-time a Disney.

Thats my plan... I just need to convince my wife.

 

[momrek06]

I just bought a couple of homes out there (retirement plan). I hope to move out to FL in the next 10 -15 years, retire, and work part-time a Disney.

Thats my plan... I just need to convince my wife.

DH & I stopped and stayed in Celebration the night before our week in WDW. We looked at several homes and took many pictures. My dream would be to live in Orlando or as close to WDW as I could. We just love the place, love it. And I would LOVE to work at Disney as well when I retire...which is probably going to be sooner than later.....

I would never feel like I ever lost the MAGIC. There is just something about Disney that I will always always LOVE.

 

[byoung]

I think in would be great to be close.

 

[makinorlando]

I live 12 miles from the parks and being that close has been wonderful. It hasn't taken away any of the magic. I can pop over whenever I want. I went over 80 times last year and it is still magical to me.

I concur with safetymom (again...) I live a few more miles away, but can be inside of any given park within one hour from my front door..... during the non summer months (Sept - May), I would bet we average at least one day per week.... this week we were at Ohana's for b-fast on Saturday, MK on Monday afternoon/evening, and MK for my birthday dinner at CP.

I continue to find it magical each and everytime (unless my DD is being a grump) and knew when I got up yesterday morning that MK was where I wanted to spend my birthday.

I could not imagine not having it as a spur of the moment option when we don't know what else to do!!!! When my DD is a teenager, will she still want to go, well that's yet to be seen, but if not... I will finally get my all by myself visits that I yearn for to people watch and take pictures!!

On the other hand, I know many many people in my community who never go to Disney - but it is just not their thing!

 

[2angelsinheaven]

I live about 50 miles from WDW and we go each Friday, still magical and will always be. We're always finding new things to do and see, they offer so much that it would take many many many visits to see and do everything... but we're working on it...lol! I've got DFiance' hooked and guess where were going tomorrow, yup... Disney!

 

[MommytoMJM]

I live right behind the Magic Kingdom, if I walk across my street I am on Disney Property, I can see Wishes from my patio, hear the trian whistle from my bedroom and hear Spectro if it is really clear. I adore being so close, we went 107 times from March 11-Dec 31. My daugher is 5 and all of our friends are CM's it is a great location for us.

 

[BratTink]

We are only about a 2- 2 1/2 hour drive from Disney World. DH and I have talked about moving to Orlando. We always say if were bored on the weekend we could just shoot over to Disney in minutes. As much as I would love taking my kids all the time I wonder if it would be a little too much. Right now we try to go at least twice a year. (Although now we just got the seasonal pass.) I just love how excited my DD is right now counting the days until we go and telling everyone she sees how she is going to Disney in X amount of days. Would living so close and going all the time take away all that excitement? Just wanted to see what you all thought.

P.S. Sorry if this has been asked before

Savsmommy, are you looking for information in regard to crime, neighborhood, schools, etc or only "is it great to live near disney". I live in Phila, PA and have friends that moved to Orlando-they took about 15 trips to disney while dating and after marrying moved there. They didn't like Orlando as its just waaay too touristy for them. They've recently moved about an hour away and LOVE it and still go to Disney at least 2-3 monthly. My personal 2cents is that it never loses its magic and my friends don't think so either.
Good luck!

 

[debloco]

No, I can't say I would. I think it'd cease to be so special if I was that close. Plus, I have no desire to live in any state that has that much humidity...makes my curls go wild!

 

[Mandalou]

I'm glad I found this thread. . .

My Dfolks are going to be heading down to the Orlando area to find a retirement home very soon, but they don't know what community to look at. They LOVE Disney and would get a FL AP for sure -- they'd want to go a lot, in other words. They have also wondered if being too close to WDW would make it lose some of it's magic. (They're currently from WI and are used to visiting WDW 1-2 times a year.)

Some of you have said that you love being RIGHT NEXT TO Disney and others say an hour or two away is better. So, what do you think is the best city/community to live in that is still close to Disney and why?

(My DH and I are curious, too, because we are also looking into moving into the area -- it's just a job thing right now. . . we'd need to find good jobs down there, of course. . . we work so we can go to Disney! )