Totally off topic...sorry...working at disney

[bumbershoot]

...but I have head people say that they love working for Publix.

Probably b/c of the big class action lawsuit against them some years back for the way they treated women (I think there was more to the suit, but that's the part I paid attention to, b/c my mom worked for them in Miami and they were AWFUL to the women, even down to the uniforms women wore vs what men got to wear).

 

[shrpgrl]

I moved to Winter Haven last year from Northern Indiana. I find the grocery prices similar (except milk) and I shop between Publix and Winn Dixie. I wished I had rented a year and then explored the are before I bought. As it was I spent an couple afternoons looking at houses and bought before I moved. I love my house but had I waited I would probably bought in a different area of town.We are close enough to WDW that we can head over on our days off. I just wish we had more days off.

 

[Planogirl]

Do keep the heat in mind. Our weather is similar and it is brutal at times. It's real nice to think of milder winters but count on very hot summers.

 

[PatriciaH]

Electric, groceries and housing are all more for us here than we paid in MA (outside of Boston.) We rented there but our condo is about the same size as our apartment was there. We paid about $900 in rent when we left MA (right near the train line into Boston.) Here it costs us about $1,500 a month for mortgage, HOA and condo fees on an 800sf condo (we bought cheap too!) Taxes are SO high in Celebration even with the drops in housing. Many of the homes and condos are poorly made (rushed and cheap labor did not know what they were doing-typical down here.) Siena and Water St Condos are falling apart. Georgetown and the Terraces are a little better. Mirasol and The Mona Lisa are going bankrupt. Many people are not paying their condo fees so where does that leave those of us that do pay? Celebration has a lot of good points but many are struggling here in Florida. We are right behind CA, Nevada and MI in the pitiful state contest Thousands apply to very low wage positions-scary! We are trying to get out! You need to be very wealthy and retired to live here now.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I guess I have been living in the bubble called New York my whole life....I thought all states were "right to work" - yes you can be fired for no reason, but I think most people that are fired from a job, there is a very good reason just might not be one you like or agree with.

My DH and I jokingly talk about moving to Florida to have the nicer weather and be closer to our favorite place. I doubt it would happen though....those summers are brutal...I'd rather shovel 7ft of snow thanks lol

NY is not a right to work state..I moved here (FL) from NY and thought like you, one can be fired for any reason. That is not true in NY. NY there are "unions" that protect you from just "any reason". There has to be a valid reason.
Many people think that the Right to Work Law means that a person can be fired for any reason. That really isn't what it is. .. it is about unions.. and NY is full of Unions! and you really do get use to the summers here... I put my shovels away for good.. now I have umbrellas

 

[A Mickeyfan]

http://www.nrtw.org/b/rtw_faq.htm


What is the Right to Work principle?

The Right to Work principle--the guiding concept of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation--affirms the right of every American to work for a living without being compelled to belong to a union. Compulsory unionism in any form--"union," "closed," or "agency" shop--is a contradiction of the Right to Work principle and the fundamental human right that the principle represents. The National Right to Work Committee advocates that every individual must have the right, but must not be compelled, to join a labor union. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation assists employees who are victimized because of their assertion of that principle.

What is a Right to Work law?

A Right to Work law guarantees that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or not to join, nor to pay dues to a labor union. Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act affirms the right of states to enact Right to Work laws. The 22 states which have passed Right to Work laws are:

Alabama, Arizona,Arkansas, Kansas,Florida, Georgia,Idaho, Iowa,Louisiana, Mississippi,Nebraska, Nevada,North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming

now back on topic... yes, to live in Orlando on 27,000... there is no way you will be living in Celebration.. maybe in the section of Orlando called Crime Hills... opps mean Pine Hills...

 

[CLR4321]

I would strongly suggest planning to go down to live for 6 months at first. Find a place that will sign on a 6 month lease. Perhaps find a furnished place so you do not need to move all of your belongings right away. In that time you will be able to learn about what it would take to live full time and potentially buy a home down there. It will give you a taste of what the job market is and what you would be able to do. If it ends up not being what you are looking for, you can move to another place or go back to IA. I agree with the PP who mentioned buying a place that is close (within a day's drive or so) of WDW so you can go back for weekends and time off work. You may want to look into the coastal areas of Georgia...many people really love that area. I would love to move to Savannah GA (about 275 miles from WDW) myself! There is also Brunswick GA, which is closer to FL (about 200 miles from WDW). I am not sure about the cost of living in those areas, however down there, the more rural you live, the cheaper it gets. You could live 10 mins outside of town and live much cheaper. Those areas still do have the hot summers, but not quite as harsh and long-lasting as Florida's consistently warm or hot weather. The area also hasn't been hit directly with a hurricane in over 100 years.

 

[SandrA9810]

Well there's a first time for everything with hurricanes. You just get used to them. And just because they haven't gotten hit, doesn't mean you don't get the same warnings and go through the same preperations like putting up shutters and stocking up on food. There's a few times I've had to do that and the storm veered off and we had perfect weather for the day.

Georgia is very pretty, and some of northern Florida. Disney can loose some of it's magic when you go to often. But it just depends on the person. Like me and Kari both have refused to work any shifts at Epcot, we were both trained in positions that would allow us, but to us Epcot is a special place and we didn't want to ruin it.

 

[disneychrista]

I guess I have been living in the bubble called New York my whole life....I thought all states were "right to work" - yes you can be fired for no reason

You are confussing "right to work" with "at - will." Right to Work means you do not have to join the union to work for a Union company. "At-will" is you can be fired for any reason or no reason & that you can quit just the same.