Relocating to WDW?

[msvlwb]

I've grown up and lived in FL most of my life. We are in Winter Garden now and my Mom is in Clermont. They are great towns and with in 30 min drive with traffic to MK. You can be to downtown Orlando in 30 min. It's a great place to live. We really don't have that many people compared to most major cities, so we get all the neat stuff the tourist want and none of the hassles of a bigger city.
The only thing we hate is it's hard to justify staying on site when you live 12 miles away! We still do sometimes... I haven't been very much this year and I'm a bit freaked out I've waited too long since we have FL residents passes with blackouts during the Summer. We love to go eat at Beaches and Cream and stroll around Epcot in an evening.
If you love Disney it's really great to live here!

 

[KCMiller]

If I was going to relocate to Florida, I'd want to be in a nice town with a great little downtown and shops, nice restaurants and such, maybe a community theatre, somewhere between Orlando and Cocoa Beach. Any ideas?

KC

 

[GuardMusic]

One of my work colleagues (also Disney fan) announced about a month ago she is leaving for a new job at St. Leo University in FL. There were no words to express my envy.

I've always planned to retire there after I earned my lifetime medical benefits from my current employer. However, this week after researching, realized if I move out of the Midwest my medical coverage will drop from 80% to 60% YIKES!

So while I'm not in a rush, I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for select opportunities in central Florida. (I'm still trying to come to terms with this overwhelming change in my "life plan"!)

 

[bakenatj]

I would move to Florida if the right job was available. Got to have a job before I would move. To me moving somewhere without a job first is just crazy The winters in Iowa are getting old.

I think for us the most likely scenario is when the kids have all gone off to school we would like to be snow birds down there. Both grand parents are within 15 minutes of us and cousins so it would be hard to leave family. But like I said the right job were to open up and I would do it.

Plus it wouldn't be just for WDW. The golf and bass fishing down there are amazing too! Plus a short drive to the ocean.

 

[PrincessAli]

My best friends daughter decided after a trip to WDW that she and her family were moving to Fl--if they could sell their house. To everyones surprise ( mostly thers') it sold one week after it was listed!! This family then packed up and went to FL with HIGH hopes of find jobs and a beautiful less expensive home to live in. They were back to their orginal hometown 3 months later--no jobs, expensive living and broke!! Make sure your eggs are in the basket before you just give up all that you have for the unknown.

 

[TacoBaco]

For those of you who made the plunge how hard was it for you to secure a job, with an out of state address?

 

[JDUCKY]

For those of you who made the plunge how hard was it for you to secure a job, with an out of state address?

Was a piece of cake for me.

I'm in IT and moved from up north about 3 years ago when the economy was definitely not doing well. Had two interviews lined up in Orlando for the same day and one of them made an offer. Probably helped that I said I didn't need any relocation expenses.

 

[JDUCKY]

I've lived in Windermere for eight years. It's a great area. It's right next door to WDW, but you'd never know it. No tourist traffic in this area. Homes range from the $150k to millions. It's a nice quiet area. The chain of lakes is beautiful. I love the area.

Yeah...but it's a major PITA getting in/out of Windermere at certain times of the day.

Although, I guess it depends on what part one is in...Windermere covers a rather large area (or what is considered Windermere, anyway)

Any suggestions on decent, safe places/areas available for rent? Thinking 2-3 BRs in the $1000/month range {or less}. I’ve researched several sites & locations, but sometimes it’s tough to get a true picture as to reviews, as it seems people like to point out the negatives more than the positives. It seems Windermere, Winter Garden, & Winter Park may be decent options. But even narrowing it down to specific areas, there’s also the task of determining specific complexes or areas within those towns. Any advice, suggestions, etc would be appreciated. Thanks.

Where we're at in Winter Garden (on the very southern edge of it), it's less than 15 min. to Magic Kingdom parking using one back way...DTD is usually about 20min. We drive 5 min. one way and there's all kinds of shopping at Winter Garden Village, 5 seconds the other way and it's all rural. And a view of the MK fireworks from the front yard? oh yeah

Home prices have stabilized but they're still great deals, esp. compared to a couple of years ago.

There's a development of smaller homes next to ours where one could easily rent a 3-4BR house w/garage for $1,000/mo (or even less). Or buy it outright and get a mortgage in the $700/mo range, even with a 0% down USDA loan. Plus, there are plenty of good schools here (esp. if you stay south of Colonial...SR 50). New elementary/middle school opens up this fall, too.

 

[dyna]

We made the move in late 2010 to Winter Haven from my driveway to the gate at
epcot is usually 30 to 45 mins I'm now moving about 20 mins closer to disney but still in Winter Haven.

We made the move as soon as DH retired bought the house about 2 months before he retired an started moving in the day after he retired.

 

[BlovesC]

For those of you who made the plunge how hard was it for you to secure a job, with an out of state address?

It was simple, I submitted my resume to some hospitals in FL a couple months before the move, and made them well aware that I was relocating to FL and that was why I was leaving my current position. I had a phone interview at home and then an in-person interview lined up the first week I was in FL. If you're in an industry with relatively high demand for the area you select to move to, it certainly makes things a lot easier! I'd never have moved if I didn't have a job lined up already, but then I've never left a job without already having a replacement awaiting, move or not.

 

[EpcotMatt2]

There's a development of smaller homes next to ours where one could easily rent a 3-4BR house w/garage for $1,000/mo (or even less). Or buy it outright and get a mortgage in the $700/mo range, even with a 0% down USDA loan. Plus, there are plenty of good schools here (esp. if you stay south of Colonial...SR 50). New elementary/middle school opens up this fall, too.

I'd be interested in some more information on this development, if you have any.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I keep getting recruiters who email me about jobs in Orlando. I want to go so bad, but my family is all here, including my 2.5 year old niece who is the love of my life.

Still thinking about doing travel nursing in Florida though- that way I could come home between assignments.

 

[luvthemouse71]

It was simple, I submitted my resume to some hospitals in FL a couple months before the move, and made them well aware that I was relocating to FL and that was why I was leaving my current position. I had a phone interview at home and then an in-person interview lined up the first week I was in FL. If you're in an industry with relatively high demand for the area you select to move to, it certainly makes things a lot easier! I'd never have moved if I didn't have a job lined up already, but then I've never left a job without already having a replacement awaiting, move or not.

Are you a nurse? If so, how long did it take to get a Florida nursing license?

 

[dickyrader]

I'd be interested in some more information on this development, if you have any.

Me too. That seems very cheap.

 

[Stewy]

We are planning to move to the area next year. It has been a long time dream that seems to have all of the pieces coming together to let us take that step by the end of the school year next year. I would appreciate the info on the reasonable neighborhood too.

I just recently started heavily researching everything and the big issue I am having is schools. There are so many of them. Can someone who lives there tell me do the school "grades" give a true indication of how good a school is? I have researched schools with an 'A' rating and a 9 on great schools but they have a bunch of bad parent reviews. I also saw how Florida is changing how they grade the school and am now totally confused what I should really be paying attention to. I would appreciate any info on good schools - for the fall 2013 we will have an elementary (2nd grade) and a high schooler (10th grade,STEM/AP focused) and we come from a smaller town - DS high school graduating class will only be 125 kids - I know we probably won't find anything public with that size graduating class and having a lot of kids in school will not bother my son.

Where we live we do not have charter or magnet schools so that is a new option for us. If anyone has tips on that process, that would be appreciated too since we will be moving with the older one going into 10th grade.

We have been concentrating our research on the western side of the parks and are looking at houses for less than $250,000 and would really prefer to be in the under $200,000 range. Ideally we would like to be within 15 minutes of Downtown Disney. I do have ideas about it but I am looking for feedback from people who currently live there.

Thanks for any help you can give me. I can't wait to move down there.

 

[elf]

I can give my little experience.

After reading about magnet schools I decided I didn't want to chance my kids not getting in. So I made sure to lived in the area close to the school I wanted. My dd was able to ride her bike to school which was 4 blocks away. When I was looking in 2009 the school boundry lines were changing all the time. I actually rented for a while. You also really need to look at the middle and high school choice for that neighborhood as well, I would find a great elementary school to find out the middle was a nightmare.

Also I would check on extra activities music, art, sports. It's seems sports were all done outside the school. Our schoold didn't have sports teams.

 

[GiJohnsGirl]

Google the schools you are considering + city-data they have legit stats not just an "a" or "c" rating systems. I hate great schools. Totally useless. I use city data for our local schools and looked at Orlando area schools as well

 

[mad madam mim78]

I have often dreamed of moving to Orlando to be close to Disney. I am currently 12 hours away. Not too aweful, but long enough. If I know me I would get seriously sad about missing out on the seasons. I love cool weather in the fall with warm camp fires. I would miss cold weather at Christmas and snow in winter. Gorgeous green spring. As much as I love Disney I know for me it would lose all it's magic. I go twice a year and it always gives me something to look forward to. I love planning the trip. I love driving 12 hours. Maybe someday, but not now. Retirement maybe.
+

 

[Illinistifler]

We lived over in Celebration for a couple of years and loved it. We'd go to the parks a few times a week hit a few rides and then leave. The concerts at Epcot were always a must see as well. Never really lost the magic. Summertime going to Typhoon lagoon and swim in the wave pool. Ahh the memories