Moving to the Happiest Place on Earth

[myhappiestplconearth]

My husband and I have always wanted to live in Orlando and just recently the dream has become more of a reality. We have two children (ds7) and (dd5) we currently live in a suburb of Chicago and love our neighborhood. I'm very involved in my children's school and church. My question is for all local families that live in or around Winter Garden...how do you like the neighborhood/school/church? Any thoughts on the elementary school; Whispering Oaks? Thanks!!

 

[Traveliz]

Not sure what denomination you are but I LOVE St. Luke's Methodist Church in Windermere. It's a mega church and not what I am used to but they are awesome.

I am in more of the Windermere area and no little ones so I can't help you with schools but I love the Windermere/Winter Garden area and all it has to offer!

Liz

 

[JDUCKY]

Moved here two years ago from Las Vegas and I LOVE Whispering Oak! We live around the corner in Belle Meade and our neighborhood is fabulous! The school is shrinking this year, which will be nice for you! A new elementary finally opens this fall and it is taking half our kids! WOOHOO! But anyhow, the parents are VERY involved there, as am I, being room moms and you'll find that this is a great place to live!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Ugh, need to log in as me, MATTERHORN! This is my husband's log in! LOL

 

[JDUCKY]

Oh, and we are Catholic and attend Resurrection Catholic Church on the 535. My kids attend catechism there every week! It's a little different than it was in Las Vegas, but it's been okay!

 

[MATTERHORN]

Okay, sorry, back as me!!! LOL. Plus, living so close to Disney, there are to back ways from Winter Garden where you don't need to take any freeways and such easy drives!! We got a lot, as a matter of fact, heading to Blizzard Beach in an hour or so!! I bet you can't wait until you can say that!!! )))

 

[WeLuvDiznee]

We live in Clermont,15 min.from Winter Garden,& 25 min. Winter Garden has a lot of good shopping,& a nice downtown area!

 

[Scotico]

We live in Miami but own a home in Celebration which is only 3 miles from Disney. We love it there.

 

[elf]

We lived in Winter Springs for a year and loved it. Loved visiting downtown Winter Garden.
Just wanted to add my 2cents, about schools.

Don't go by what the real estate or anyone says about what schools district your potential home is in, once you have an address call the school and verify. School lines are tricky in NY but in Fl they were trickier and constantly changing. Even if the house is very close to the school it could belong to another school.

Otherwise we loved it and miss living there and we never got sick of visiting Disney World or the Other parks.

 

[reginaastralis]

Don't go by what the real estate or anyone says about what schools district your potential home is in, once you have an address call the school and verify. School lines are tricky in NY but in Fl they were trickier and constantly changing. Even if the house is very close to the school it could belong to another school.

Very true. Also, with the school testing, especially this year, the grades are crazy off. They changed the standards on how the FCATS were graded, and the grades were so horrible, they went mostly back to the other way. We aren't in Orlando, but in Tampa and there were a lot of really good schools that went down. It's been interesting to say the least.

I think something that is pretty interesting is school choice. We live next to a school that I wouldn't want to send my daughter to, but we drive her to one that we wanted. My sister doesn't want to go to her neighborhood high school, so my parents moved her to the one she wants to go to. While you have choices (usually three neighborhood schools, with transportation) you have the option to use any school that has available openings.

 

[JDUCKY]

There's a few places in Orlando that do school choice, but we aren't one as far as I know! You can request a zone variance, but they are hard to come by usually. But I have had no problem with Whispering Oak besides overcrowding which is now taken care of for this year. If you had a potential address, you would know if your kids would be going to WOE or the new one, Sunridge!