Move to Orlando?

[epcotized]

Has anyone moved or considered moving to Orlando? The big advantage is, of course, easy and frequent trips to Disney. By commuting, do you miss staying onsite and using Disney transportation? Are there any other pros and cons?

 

[Feralpeg]

I've lived ten minutes from WDW a little over two years. I love it here. The magic changes, but it still wonderful. I do not miss staying in a hotel. I visit the hotels for dinner on occasion, but I like going home for the night.

 

[wkrider]

I would love to move to Orlando. I love Florida, except for the Hurricanes. Me and my DW plan on living there for part of the year once we retire. I plan on staying at the Wilderness Campground a lot.

 

[nhpooh]

We plan on moving to Florida some day soon. It was going to be next year after my DD graduated from high school. But DH got a promo at work so he say's it's on hold for now. When we do move it won't be to far from WDW. Now our best friends live in Deltona and they love it, they have been there about two years now. We visit them every chance we get, going down 8/31 for a short visit. I have been down three times so far this year. When I visit we or just me will take a day trip to DTD. I can't be that close and not see a part of WDW. For now I will just have to visit Florida as often as I can. Maybe DH will say ok lets just do it and move.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'd consider moving to Orlando only if I got a job at WDW, which is something I'd enjoy doing for a few (less than 5) years. Otherwise, there are several reasons I wouldn't. For one thing, it's too hot! For another, I love the hotels in WDW and actually enjoy staying there. We're DVC members, and I love the idea of it being a vacation home at WDW. Ideally, I'd love to live a few hours away, as opposed to where we live now-over a thousand miles away, so I could drive there instead of fly. But live right there? I'll pass.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I almost moved to the Orlando area twice . . . I met a Disney "scout", I guess you'd call him, at a college fair over my portfolio years and years ago, so almost went for Animation. Was engaged at the time and my fiancee didn't want to move there, so I didn't (good thing, huh?). Then my DH wanted to move there in 2004 so I could work there as a CM, but there's no way we could afford to live there on his SSD and a CM salary.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

We lived in Tampa for 11 years (over 9 years ago now). I would say it's a personal thing as to wether or not you would want to live in Orlando. Florida is HOT, HOT, HOT during the summer months for one thing. There is not much of a seasonal change. It's also hard to deal with tourist traffic everyday when you are just trying to get to work. It kind of sucks the magic out of things if you know what I mean. I would really research it before moving but like I said, it's really a very personal decision. Also, in all of the years we lived in Tampa, we hardly went to the theme parks. After moving 7 hours away, we love being able to hop down and visit anytime we please (which is fairly often). I think I would hate living near Disney as it's our little getaway and I look forward to our jaunts and I personally don't think it could compare to living there. That is just my opinion though. Sorry to burst a fantasy bubble!! I have my flame suit on!!!!

 

[disneygirlatheart]

I would love to move to the Orlando area. I love it there. Can anyone talk my dh into it? He is afraid there are not any jobs to be found out there, that would add up to what we are making here. That is really the only thing stopping us.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I would love to move to the Orlando area. I love it there. Can anyone talk my dh into it? He is afraid there are not any jobs to be found out there, that would add up to what we are making here. That is really the only thing stopping us.

it depends on what "here" is and what you folks do for a living, from what I hear.

 

[DOOM1001]

I live in Miami and I go to the central florida parks and average of like once every 2-3 weeks, of course in summer I might not go for like 5-6 weeks so there's times in the year I go like 3-4 times a month!!! So I've come to a conclusion I'm either going to have to move to Orlando or keep having to get a new car every 4 years with all the miles I put on it!!!

In a couple of years I do expect to move to Orlando full-time, heck I probably spend like a month and a half out of the year now.As far as losing the magic, not for me, I realize the more I'm there the more I like it!!!

 

[safetymom]

I live 12 miles from the parks and I still love it. I went to the parks 86 times last year. Living here allows you to take time to enjoy the parks. We might just go over for ice cream, watch a show.

I still go over to the resort I used to stay at and have dinner.

It is still magical to me. I was lucky because I can do my job from anywhere so I didn't have to find one here in the Orlando area.

 

[mla2177]

My husband is in the process of changing careers to work for an agency in the federal government, and they ask you put in order your preference of state you would like to live in after the academy. We live in De now, and put Fl at the top of our list just because of WDW!!!!! I would love to live there, and work at WDW part-time!!!!!!!!!

 

[nhpooh]

I would love to move to the Orlando area. I love it there. Can anyone talk my dh into it? He is afraid there are not any jobs to be found out there, that would add up to what we are making here. That is really the only thing stopping us.

This is why we are putting off moving down next year. With the pay increase DH got he's afraid we won't make as much down there now. Maybe put a little more in the bank so we can move soon.

 

[Love2BinDisney]

My DH would love to move to Florida. Me personally I would love to be close to Disney but don't want to leave all of my family behind. Also afraid of salaries in the area as other posters mentioned. I have also heard that the prices of homes have increased pretty dramatically over the past few years in the Orlando area.

 

[byoung]

Soon I hope.

 

[mking624]

DH & I are planning on moving there after he graduates from seminary. Not just because we love WDW, but we really do love Florida and the Orlando area. Feels like home to us.

 

[popy]

Well, I was going to when I retired, but the property value has went out of
controll in the last few years, traffic is a joke, insurance is high, bugs are a problem, crime is bad, and the list goes on and on. Few too many strikes for
me.

 

[Muffy]

We close on our vacation home in Celebration this week! We will spend as much time there as possible. I think owning a home in the Orlando area is a great investment. There are plenty of bargains out there right now too. Good luck to everyone!

Muffy

 

[orljustin]

We close on our vacation home in Celebration this week! We will spend as much time there as possible. I think owning a home in the Orlando area is a great investment. There are plenty of bargains out there right now too. Good luck to everyone!

A bargain right now is something under 300 grand that isn't in Kissimmee. Having a vacation home in Celebration is not reality for 99% of the population who cannot afford to live fulltime for starting prices of $500,000. Good for you though.

Housing prices in Orlando have turned insane the last few years. You are not going to live in a nice house within 30 miles of the parks living on a park workers salary.

You can check jobs at www.disneycareers.com . Most of those are going to $12 or so and under, unless you find an engineering, technical or professional position. There are other careers to be found in Orlando, but it is a service industry heavy area, obviously. You do not have state income tax, which is a benefit, but you do have entrance fees on the science center, parks, etc. And toll roads.

Living near the parks is great, but the price may be high in more ways than one.

 

[Metro West]

Housing prices in Orlando have turned insane the last few years. You are not going to live in a nice house within 30 miles of the parks living on a park workers salary.

You can check jobs at www.disneycareers.com . Most of those are going to $12 or so and under, unless you find an engineering, technical or professional position. There are other careers to be found in Orlando, but it is a service industry heavy area, obviously. You do not have state income tax, which is a benefit, but you do have entrance fees on the science center, parks, etc. And toll roads.

Living near the parks is great, but the price may be high in more ways than one.

How true. The housing here has gone nuts over the past year. Unless you want to pay for a fourty or fifty year old house that's WAY overpriced, you won't find much..except in a bad area of Orlando. And now with the insurance companies raising the homeowners premiums through the roof (in some places), it's going to be even harder to live in FL.