Has anyone move to Florida to be close to Disney?

Arepells

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 13, 2017
My DH and I want to move to Florida to be close to Disney and all the things you can do in Florida. We've been getting some strange looks from family members for this decision and wanted to see if anyone else is just as crazy as us!
 
Funny, today, after getting another 14 inches of snow, I am seriously think of doing just that. I have been talking about it for awhile. Yes, family thinks it's crazy. And I do worry about the heat in the summer. But I think by year end, I will do it.
 
wanted to see if anyone else is just as crazy as us!

Yes, but in a more traditional way. About 5 years ago during the real estate slump we bought a house near Disney. We put it in the vacation rental market for a few years. I retired 2 years ago and we now snowbird there. We do not miss the New England winters. But we also are not ready for the Florida summers. We visited again last August and, for us, the heat and humidity was just too oppressive. Everyone is different. We know a number of folks who love it. Well, tolerate it with a liberal dose of air conditioning. But for now we will stay snowbirds.

It is a great area with plenty of nice places to live. But remember that tourism is the primary business. Lots of work but not a lot of pay. Make sure you have your job and finances worked out before you take the leap.
 
While we haven't given it incredibly serious thought yet, I do check out home prices, school districts, and job opportunities in central Florida from time to time. I also don't know if I could handle the summers - I barely handle the summers here in NJ! The main thing keeping us here is family, but my dad retired early and my mom is, unfortunately, looking more and more like she'll wind up on disability, so it may one day make sense for us to combine forces and move in together. If that happens, I think I can make a pretty good case for getting us closer to Disney World!
 


It's funny because we go to Disney World more often then our friends that live 2 hours away..(drive) or for longer periods of time anyway. They are more likely to do a bunch of weekend trips and stay off site and we go once a year and stay on site and dine all over the place... I thought about being closer.. but not sure that it would actually get me to Disney more. I prefer longer "all-inclusive" type trips to Disney than just going for a day or the weekend which is what most locals tend to do.
Also.. I'm not loving the Florida summers. The heat and humidity I'm used to but the rain.. not so much.
Not ruling it out though, if we moved I think I would be happy living there - but for me it would be more about the proximity to the cruise port then Disney World.
Currently we are 2 hrs away by plane or 19 hrs by car.
 


Once we retire, we may find or rent a place near Disney for the winter months, but I don't think I'd want to live there in the summer.
 
I wouldn't move down here just for Disney. It get's extremely hot here (heat index can reach 120 with the humidity) and not just for a couple days, the bugs are horrid in the Summer, homeowners/auto insurance is expensive, wages stink, the schools stink...I could go on. If it wasn't for the fact that my home is fully paid for and my son's college tuition is cheaper due to being a resident I'd pack up and move elsewhere. I knew a number of folks who moved down here, only to return where they came from less than 5 years later. It's not the paradise you may think it is.
 
Yep, pretty much! I've always known that I wanted to move somewhere warm (no winter!) and close to the ocean. When I realized I could have those *and* Disney here in Florida, there was no question for me at all. I was just coming out of college and I got a job that, after a training period elsewhere, allowed me to move essentially anywhere in the country and so now I'm in the Tampa area and go out to Disney at least twice a month now, usually more. I love it!
 
Its not strange to me. We have an 18 month and a 5 year plan. If I can't get a job down there in 18 months (DD starts HD in 18 months) then we will wait until they finish HS and then try again.

Even if I have to live in a camper (don't know where I will put it)

Stacy
 
I wouldn't move down here just for Disney. It get's extremely hot here (heat index can reach 120 with the humidity) and not just for a couple days, the bugs are horrid in the Summer, homeowners/auto insurance is expensive, wages stink, the schools stink...I could go on. If it wasn't for the fact that my home is fully paid for and my son's college tuition is cheaper due to being a resident I'd pack up and move elsewhere. I knew a number of folks who moved down here, only to return where they came from less than 5 years later. It's not the paradise you may think it is.
I actually read that somewhere... that Florida has record number of people that move there (usually because California is too expensive) only to leave within 5 years and go back where they came from.
I don't think Florida is paradise at all, unless you happen to be rich - but I could make it work if I had to. Just wouldn't move here for Disney.
 
We "joke" that when we retire we're going to move down and work at Disney. We took a Disney fishing excursion (which was awesome, by the way) and our guide/fisherman was a retired businessman from Illinois. His wife worked at Mouse Gear. They loved it. Sounds awesome to me!
 
Not sure if you watch the DIS podcast but the owner of this site & the whole team from what I understand all moved from different states to the Orlando area & have been there for quite a while. So people do it & do end up enjoying it enough to stay. I know a couple others who made the move to central FL from S FL & did not end up staying.

Just like a relocation to anywhere, do diligent research into the area you want to move & take longer visits to be able to explore the area surrounding the theme parks to get more of a feel of what it might be like living there.

You say you want to move to FL but are you looking into central FL, S FL or N FL or the panhandle? Even a change of direction by one hour from Disney makes a big difference, from Tampa to Daytona Beach & Sanford to Poinciana. There are some towns that have very good reputations in central FL (Mt. Dora, Lake Nona, etc.) and some not so good & that also of course would make a difference.

Cost of living varies greatly in FL just as it would anywhere else so keep that in mind as well. Here in S FL, cost of living is higher but the salaries do not necessarily reflect that depending on the field you are in. Cost of living is a bit less in central FL but I don't know enough about the job market there to know if the rates of pay match up with it or not.

Everyone's experience will be different & on all ends of the spectrum. I also know many who made the move from other states here to S FL. Some love it & some don't stay for long. It's amazing how many different subcultures you can have existing in one state.
 
We moved to Georgia to be close to Disney, cruise ports, beaches, and to have year round good weather. It was a good decision for us!
Now Georgia would be the best of both worlds! My parents almost moved to Georgia, we had family there for years. Everyone I ever talk to loves it there. Much nicer climate than Florida and overall better opportunities but so close if you want to drive to Disney or the cruise ports.
Could do Georgia for sure!
 
Now Georgia would be the best of both worlds! My parents almost moved to Georgia, we had family there for years. Everyone I ever talk to loves it there. Much nicer climate than Florida and overall better opportunities but so close if you want to drive to Disney or the cruise ports.
Could do Georgia for sure!

Yes the Atlanta and savanah areas are both wonderful! Much more mild weather and less critters. :)
 
We made the FL move from Chicago 3.5 years ago. Best decision ever!!! We didn't want to be inland, however and moved to Estero (between Ft. Myers and Naples). It puts us just under 3 hours to the parks. Easy enough drive to go whenever we want. We mainly do short, weekend (sometimes just overnight) trips, but will extend our stays when friends visit. People thought we would never go, or it would lose its appeal. Not a chance! We own DVC and I've already used all of next years points!

And I have to disagree about a few of the negatives above:

1) "It's too hot." And it's too cold up North. At least you can enjoy the mornings, evenings and outdoor activities such as pools and beaches when it's hot. When it's cold, forget it!

2) "Too many creepy crawlies." Stay out of the bushes, woods, rivers and lakes! We have less bugs in our house than we ever did up North. I think the "critters" do a good job!

3) "It's for the rich." There's something for everyone and every budget in FL--just like anywhere else.

Just my two cents!

Feel free to IM me, if you want. :flower3:
 

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