im moving to orlando...

[justskip70003]

I am lucky enough to have come upon a great job offer in orlando. i found a place 4.5 miles from disney property. my question is do you think it will ruin the magic?
if there are any DISers who live in and around orlando let me know what you think and to anyone who doesnt let me know what you think as well.

thanks

skip

 

[Vemnox]

The first 4-6 months you'll love it, after that - "yes". If you go to Disney, do it sporadically. Outside of the "Disney bubble" Orlando is pretty trashy.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

There are a ton of folks that live in or near Orlando that have absolutely nothing to do with Disney. It's kind of a love it or hate it relationship.

We lived close to WDW for 5 years. DW and I enjoyed it very much, but we had the ability to see Disney as a theme park, and not just any other place to work. If you can maintain that separation mentally, you'll do well.

As with any other tourist destination, you can avoid any influence of WDW by moving 15 or more miles away. Beyond that, Orlando is like any other medium sized city, local shopping, traffic, crime, etc.

Given that, DW nor I never allowed the magic to fade, and would gladly move back to Orlando if given the chance.

 

[Feralpeg]

The first 4-6 months you'll love it, after that - "yes". If you go to Disney, do it sporadically. Outside of the "Disney bubble" Orlando is pretty trashy.

That's a very broad statement. There are some areas of the Orlando area that are not stellar, but, in general, Orlando is a very nice and pretty city.

I've lived close to WDW for five years now. I've even worked for Disney. I won't kid you. Living close does change the magic. I'd be surprised if you went to the parks every week. For me, the magic is still there, but it is different. Now, I go whenever I want to go and stay for however long I want. I rarely stay at any park for more than about three hours. It is not unusual for me to run to a park to grab lunch or dinner. I often go and not ride any rides. I walk around, soaking up the magic. I don't push myself or worry about ride times. If it is busy one day, I simply go back another. It is very nice and relaxing.

Don't let others put you off on living in Orlando. I love it here. I don't see myself ever leaving. Yes, it has some problems. There isn't a major city in this country that doesn't, but the good goes way beyond the bad.

 

[Metro West]

I am lucky enough to have come upon a great job offer in orlando. i found a place 4.5 miles from disney property. my question is do you think it will ruin the magic?
if there are any DISers who live in and around orlando let me know what you think and to anyone who doesnt let me know what you think as well.

thanks

skip

Good luck on the move and congratulations on moving here. As far as going to Disney often, the down side that I've experienced is waiting in lines. Since I've gone to Disney during every season for the past six years, I'm very intolerant of lines and heavy crowds and I rarely stay long in those instances. Why? Because I can always come back at another time and not have to miss anything.

Outside of the "Disney bubble" Orlando is pretty trashy.

 

[J&J]

not if you are a real disney nut. stay on property at less once a year to really take part in the magic.

 

[The Masked Maniac]

I live at the back entrance of Magic Kingdoms employee lot and we go 3 plus times a week...our neghbors are all cast members and the magic is still there for us and our kids........We are seconds from hopping in the car to see our buddy as Darth Maul......

 

[NYDisneyKid]

i live 10 minutes from disney and there at least 5 days a week. (unless it rains then i dont go)

 

[mossy1]

I am lucky enough to have come upon a great job offer in orlando. i found a place 4.5 miles from disney property. my question is do you think it will ruin the magic?
if there are any DISers who live in and around orlando let me know what you think and to anyone who doesnt let me know what you think as well.

thanks

skip

Good for you Skip!! I would love to be moving there. As far as ruining the magic, I don't think it would but at times you may suffer from park "Burn Out". I also have a quick question for you and the locals. I have been thinking of this move myself, but not for a few years yet. What areas of Orlando are good areas to live? Would it be closer to Kissimmee or some other small town close by?TIA for any reply.

 

[safetymom]

I have lived here 5 years and the Magic is still there for me. I don't do all day park touring but still manage to go about 75 times a year.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I live less than a mile from Disney property and about 2 - 3 from the Magic Kingdom front gates and the magic is still there! As Peggy said though, it is different. Sometimes I do miss that anticipation of planning the trip then emersing yourself in the magic after getting off the plane in Orlando... but that's what the cruises and Disneyland are for now!

Sometimes we go just for dinner, sometimes we go for the day. We can experience more of the offerings that we never did before like Disney Quest and the Mini golf courses. If a line is too long we are okay with that because we know that we can always come back another day. And we love being able to experience all the festivals and holidays that we wouldn't have gotten to experience because we didn't vacation at that time!

Congrats on the move to Orlando. We absolutely love it and do not regret moving here a single minute. Here's hoping you love it like we do!

 

[AnnaS]

Congratulations and good luck with your move. Please keep us posted after you have moved and let us know how everything is going. I hope the magic will stay with you.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Congrats on the job! My aunt and uncle moved to Windermere, which is like a ten minute drive to Disney.. they are Disney fanatics and it hasn't changed one bit. About 3-4 days a week (depending on weather) they head over to the parks, and they stay at the Poly a few times a year to really '"vacation". It has not ruined the magic one bit for them- in fact, they are even bigger fans now that they can spend more time looking at the behind the scenes stuff that a family with a time budget may miss. Good luck to you!

 

[Soldiersprincess]

Yay for you! I'm so jealous! Once DH is retired from the Army we are hoping to move down there. Not to Orlando but someplace near there. We've still got about 16 years though. Good Luck moving and have fun!

I think the magic is only ruined if you let get ruined. Life's what you make it so go ahead and enjoy the perks of being down there!

 

[KristinBelle]

Yes

 

[TIGGERGUY]

Congrats on the job! My aunt and uncle moved to Windermere, which is like a ten minute drive to Disney.. they are Disney fanatics and it hasn't changed one bit. About 3-4 days a week (depending on weather) they head over to the parks, and they stay at the Poly a few times a year to really '"vacation". It has not ruined the magic one bit for them- in fact, they are even bigger fans now that they can spend more time looking at the behind the scenes stuff that a family with a time budget may miss. Good luck to you!

How do they like living in Windermere? I want to move to Orlando is the next few months but can't decide where to live. Work is not a factor, so being close to an interstate and near WDW are my main criteria.

 

[fla4fun]

I live about 20 minutes from the Mouse (for over 15 years now), and I usually spend most of my vacations staying on property. Back when I only received one week of vacation at work, I'd do more day trips. But now, I get about 4 1/2 weeks of vacation, so I prefer staying on property and doing a proper vacation instead of lots of day trips. The AP still pays for itself, and if I want to do a day trip (like on my birthday to get the gift card) it is easy to do.

Like anything else, if you get too much of it, it can become mundane. You'll find your balance. Between beaches, and Disney, and other activities in the area, there's never a shortage of things to do. You'll also learn pretty quickly which neighborhoods to avoid and which ones are not only safe but pleasant as well.

 

[MAH4546]

Outside of the "Disney bubble" Orlando is pretty trashy.

Couldn't agree more. Orlando is probably the worst city I've ever lived in. A real definition of a depressing city. And I use the word "city" lightly. It's not really a city, its just a collection of theme parks, strip malls and gated communities. No life, no character, nothing to do.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

How do they like living in Windermere? I want to move to Orlando is the next few months but can't decide where to live. Work is not a factor, so being close to an interstate and near WDW are my main criteria.

Then Windermere is definitely a great choice. They love it there, literally 3 turns to get on WDW property. The main road that they take to WDW (the name isn't coming to me) is getting re-vamped for more lanes which they say will make getting around even easier. Look into it for sure! My aunt can literally watch Wishes from her backyard!

 

[Bounce_Tigger]

Couldn't agree more. Orlando is probably the worst city I've ever lived in. A real definition of a depressing city. And I use the word "city" lightly. It's not really a city, its just a collection of theme parks, strip malls and gated communities. No life, no character, nothing to do.

And gift shops - don't forget the gift shops