Take the Plunge - Just Move There!!

[Lorelai]

Here's something I see every once in a while on the DIS Boards.....

People remarking that they've taken the plunge and moved to their favorite location on the planet. In our house we always joke that "someday" we'll move to Orlando and all become blissfully employed - in one way or another - by the Happiest Place on Earth. But....and this is a big but....Does moving there take some of the magic away?? Is Disney something better regarded as a magical escape from the everyday, or can it actually become everyday magic??

Anyone who has taken the plunge care to comment? Or perhaps those considering doing so? Lastly, who out there would never want to make Disney a permanent residence?

As for me, I'm hoping that Cinderella Castle will be my spot to have my morning coffee ...... someday.

 

[dvcgirl]

Here's something I see every once in a while on the DIS Boards.....

People remarking that they've taken the plunge and moved to their favorite location on the planet. In our house we always joke that "someday" we'll move to Orlando and all become blissfully employed - in one way or another - by the Happiest Place on Earth. But....and this is a big but....Does moving there take some of the magic away?? Is Disney something better regarded as a magical escape from the everyday, or can it actually become everyday magic??

Anyone who has taken the plunge care to comment? Or perhaps those considering doing so? Lastly, who out there would never want to make Disney a permanent residence?

As for me, I'm hoping that Cinderella Castle will be my spot to have my morning coffee ...... someday.

I'm sure you'll get different answers on this. But I would never advise someone to actually move down here because they love Disney. We moved to Orlando last year, but for the weather and the housing market more than anything else. Yes, it appealed to us that there is a lot to do in the area, including several theme parks. The housing market has really taken off down here and so it's no longer as cheap to live here as it used to be. And unless you have a job waiting for you, high paying jobs aren't necessarily easy to find.

But yes, it does change....going as a day guest isn't the same as vacationing there. You never get that total immersion feel that you get as on-site guest...because you always have to leave. The upside for us is that we can pop overthere whenever we want. We may be in the mood for ice cream, so we'll head over for an ice cream cone and catch Wishes...that kind of thing. We're there lots during the Epcot Festivals...Food and Wine and Flower and Garden. And we're there lots during the holiday season. But it is definitely different.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I moved here last year and wouldn't change a thing. There are ups and downs though. The ups are the obvious. We save alot of money now that we used to spend on vacations. It is alot of fun to get home from work in the evening and just decide to pop over to Mk for a few hours. Florida discounts are great, and I always look out for the discounts at the WOD. My kids are so spoiled, they think a day in the park is going to SeaWorld. The downs are that if you actually work at WDW (I work at Universal seasonally), the pay is very low unless you are in upper management, the same at Universal. I found my place in marketing in town. The housing costs are very high right now. I have been looking at small 3 bedroom homes that start at 300,000. My power bill is through the roof every month because of the air conditioner. The traffic is horrible in Orlando. I live 5 mins away from WDW, I can hear the fireworks at night, but the traffic to go anywhere is horrible. The tourists really start to get on your nerves after a while too. You cannot escape them, they are everywhere. The magic does die a bit after a while, I use to get goosebumps when I drove under the entrance to WDW, but since I cut through WDW everyday to go home now, it means nothing anymore.
But still, I will take the good over the bad.

 

[alabamagirl]

I have thought about moving back down to Orlando a lot. My first obstacle is my husband, he would not be thrilled, so if we ever do move then it will be a long time from now (think retirement). I lived in Lake Buena Vista during my college program and I really like it (aside from being homesick some). Orlando in general is EXTREMELY clean, much cleaner than where I live. It is also a melting pot of people, there is every different ethnicity and culture you can think of living there.
However, living there does take some of the magic away, just as the previous poster said, at the end of the day you have to go home, not go to a Disney themed hotel and swim in the pool. Kind of a downer.
But if you work for Disney, then you are a part of the magic which is special also.
Anyway, if I could talk my husband into it, I would like to move back down there, but as they say it will be a cold day in h*ll before that happens.

 

[princess mom of 4]

My DH and I have both been so frustrated with our jobs, and almost once a week talk about the fantasy of working at or close to WDW...but these posts really make me thing twice about it. I'm not good at tolerating traffic!

 

[Feralpeg]

I live 10 minutes from WDW property. As other posters have said, it is wonderful to be able to pop over to one of the parks or DTD whenever we like. However, everyday life gets in the way. DD still has school. I have work to do. We do not go every day to a Disney park. If we did, I think it would get old. When we go, it does feel different than when we were visiting from out of state. I don't think it is a bad difference. It is a more relaxed feeling. We don't stress over getting on rides. We spend a lot of time strolling around, talking to people, watching people.

I disagree with a previous poster about the tourists. I love the tourists. I love asking them where they are from. I do visit DTD at least 3 to 4 times a week. I always strike up a conversation with at least one family.

I have no regrets about moving to Florida (although I currently hate the lovebugs!). If you are thinking of moving here, just don't set your expectations to high. Living in Central Florida is like living anywhere else. You still have responsibilities. Unfortunately, there really is no magical place on earth to live. But, some places have a little more magic than others.

 

[can'twait]

Um, nobody has mentioned hurricanes and gators yet....

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

I think one of the best parts og going to Disney is the anticipation that biulds up all year waiting for that day that you arrive. But when you live there, you're there all the time therefore anticipation doesnt have time to build. I would personally never want to move there, I like to think Disney is off in it's own little magical fantasy realm and I get to be a visitor once a year!
ug:

 

[Feralpeg]

I've only seen one gator since I moved here over a year ago. It was crawling out of a ditch along the highway filled with water after a hurricane. Unless you live right on the water, you probably won't see many gators.

We experienced all three hurricanes right after moving to Orlando. The only damage we had was a little tree that tipped over. I just stood it back up. No big deal. I'm not trying to make light of the hurricanes. Many people had a great deal of damage, but the damage in the Orlando area is not like the damage people suffer along the coast. Most of the damage in Orlando had to do with roofs that really should have been replaced prior and large trees falling or dropping limbs. Now that many people have had their roofs replaced and the worst of the big old trees have been torn down or trimmed, the damage in this area from another hurricane would probably be less. My home is new. It was built to hurricane code. The only thing that worried me was the windows and what would happen if an object were to hit them. I've since installed a product by 3M that can withstand objects tossed at 180 mph. I actually found the last hurricane to be kind of relaxing. Many hours of rain and wind, but no pressure to go anywhere or do anything.

 

[barkley]

no way i want to live in a "tourist destination". we did that for many years growing up in napa california (traffic screeches to a halt as you hear wafting from the car ahead of you-"look martha it's a vineyard!" ). tourist destinations generaly have the majority of their income generated by the tourists (and yes, the pay is low in most tourist industries unless you are management and want to "live your life for the company"). Regular expenses like groceries and gas can be driven up due to tourists willing to pay exhorbidant amounts, and local services can suffer depending on what "face" the area wants to present to it's "visitors".

i had a co-worker who did what everyone dreams of-she went to hawaii on vacation and never came back but she did it in a very intelligent manner. she stopped by a couple of employers that were hiring in our field, got a job set up for herself and then took a leave of absence from our employer. her mind set was "even paradise can become boring after a while", so she arranged it in such a manner as to be able to return home when she no longer felt like "it's just like being on vacation".

 

[Chicago526]

I really want to move to Orlando for the express purpose of working there. DFi would make enought to suport us (he works as a press operator and can work for any newspaper in the country, all he has to do is apply) so the low pay wouldn't bother me a bit. Of course it wouldn't be the same kind of "magic" as vacationing here, but it would be magic in a differant way. I'd be making other people's wishes and dreams come true, and what could be better than that!

Last trip, DFi and I got to MK at about 7:45 AM. The lagoon was quiet, the sun was still rising (this was December) the air was still and cool, the park clean and fresh. I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be wonderfull to get to go to work every morning in a place like this?".

I used to work for a Rainforest Cafe (not in FL, another location) and it was so much fun. It was also a lot of hard work, and not all of the customers were easy to deal with, so I do have a feeling of what I'm in for. It won't be all magic and pixie dust every single day, like any job I'll have days when I just want to up and quit if I hear "What time is the 3 o'clock parade" one more time. But I think the good days will WAY out number the bad days.

 

[safetymom]

I took the plunge and moved to FL. I knew when my kids graduated High School I wanted to move somewhere. I was visiting FL so much I decided it would be cheaper to move here.

I don't regret that decision. I got to go through 3 hurricanes and had to replace the roof but that wasn't enough to scare me back to PA. People said wait until your first summer and then tell me what you think of FL. I am here for my second summer and I love it here.

The parks haven't lost any magic for me. I like that I can just go to a park and walk around. Take in a show, have ice cream. There is still so much I haven't seen yet.
I haven't gone as much this year as compared to last year but I still have gone over 70 times this year.

I love the tourists too, btw.

 

[dvcgirl]

I live 10 minutes from WDW property. As other posters have said, it is wonderful to be able to pop over to one of the parks or DTD whenever we like. However, everyday life gets in the way. DD still has school. I have work to do. We do not go every day to a Disney park. If we did, I think it would get old. When we go, it does feel different than when we were visiting from out of state. I don't think it is a bad difference. It is a more relaxed feeling. We don't stress over getting on rides. We spend a lot of time strolling around, talking to people, watching people.

I disagree with a previous poster about the tourists. I love the tourists. I love asking them where they are from. I do visit DTD at least 3 to 4 times a week. I always strike up a conversation with at least one family.

I have no regrets about moving to Florida (although I currently hate the lovebugs!). If you are thinking of moving here, just don't set your expectations to high. Living in Central Florida is like living anywhere else. You still have responsibilities. Unfortunately, there really is no magical place on earth to live. But, some places have a little more magic than others.

We're exactly like you Peg...it's definitely different...like I said earlier. But Disney is more relaxing in many ways. And we like the tourists as well...we like to engage in conversation with people from other parts of the country and world. I like that we can look at our week and realize that we both have a half day free tomorrow and so we're going to head over to MK and Epcot for the afternoon and evening. We never stress over rides either, and rarely go over there just for that. More often, we'll head over to eat...lol! But tomorrow we're looking forward to Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Space, Splash....and no lines!

 

[snowbunny]

Wow Chicago526, you'd leave the windy city for Orlando? I love Chicago and yes, I've lived in that area and through the winters. On the other hand, I have a friend who lives in south Florida and barely steps foot outside all summer between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm because of the oppressive heat and humidity.

 

[goofie4goofy]

UMMMM...Hellooo...You cannot live on vacation....everyone knows that. Living there or anywhere is just normal life. You wake up, have coffee, go to work...you know the daily grind.

We love Florida, and lots of other places too, but life is no better or worse than where you are now. Living near a huge theme park will not change your life. Actually it may take all the fun out of it.

A few examples I have learned: When I was younger I thought bartending was a great job. You work in a nice place, chit chat with people, make a lot of money. OMG one of the worst jobs I ever had for all the obivious reasons you can think of and then some...and the money wasn't that great considering all the back breaking work.

A few years ago I was on Jenny Craig. I loved going to the center every week. So they were hiring and I was hired.....OMG the hours long, the people insane and the pay was a mere pittance. I lasted 3 months.

I could not imagine working in WDW in the summer months with the crowds, heat and humidity. I guess some of the posts regarding surley CM's say a lot. Working at WDW is just like any other job...when you are a guest you are treated as such, when you are a CM you are an employee. Magic is where you make it, it does not have to be in WDW.


You know what they say is true...The grass is always greener.....

 

[barkley]

i plan to become a bi-coastal disney resident. i plan to come back as a duck in my next life and spend summers at disneyland, winters at disneyworld. just float around tom sawyer island, munch the popcorn the kids toss me...i cannot think of a nicer existence

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I really REALLY want to move down to Orlando. I live in New Jersey and I just cannot take the cold weather anymore. I am only 27 years old but I have experienced enough snow in my lifetime.

I think the "Magic" would still be there even if I went a few times a week. I think it takes a certain kind of person though who really loves Disney to work inside the parks. But I love talking to people so I wouldn't mind being a greeter or even working with their customer service.

The only thing I would miss would be seeing the Empire State building on my drive home, but if that means I could see Wishes or Illuminations pretty much on a daily basis, I would take that any day!!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I could not imagine working in WDW in the summer months with the crowds, heat and humidity. I guess some of the posts regarding surley CM's say a lot. Working at WDW is just like any other job...when you are a guest you are treated as such, when you are a CM you are an employee. Magic is where you make it, it does not have to be in WDW.


You know what they say is true...The grass is always greener.....

That is a very good point. It was my dream job to work in a theme park until last summer when I got a job in one and realized how hard you really work for 6.75 an hour. Even working on a ride as I do, pushing buttons, checking seatbelts, can be incredibly stressfull, not to mention the 100+ degree heat.
It definately takes a special person to do that day in and day out. I can only handle it seasonally.

 

[Spartan]

Count me in as another who would never want to actually live in Orlando. As much as I love my yearly Disney trip, I love my summer's here in the Great Lakes. Disney is my escape from reality, and I want to keep it that way - I don't want it mixed with my regular life of work, responsibilities, etc.

I've told my wife that what I'd really like to do is spend our winter's in Florida when we retire. We would rent a place on the coast for a couple of months, and then a month at WDW. Of course, I can't even imagine what a month would cost by then. Guess I'll need to keep working a bit longer to make that one a reality - as well my inform my kids where their inheritance will be going

 

[Chicago526]

Wow Chicago526, you'd leave the windy city for Orlando? I love Chicago and yes, I've lived in that area and through the winters. On the other hand, I have a friend who lives in south Florida and barely steps foot outside all summer between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm because of the oppressive heat and humidity.

I'd miss IL, to be sure. But I've lived here my whole life, I think it'd be nice to live somewhere else. And beleive me, Chicago can be just as hot and humid as FL. Growing up, there were a few summer where temps were in the 90's most days with HIGH humidity. And my parents were too cheap to turn on the A/C to boot!

I would also apply for a job where I was working indoors either all or part of the day. I want to work for Disney, I'm not suicidal!