im moving to orlando...

[TJM1976]

I have lived in orlando for 10 years and am an annual passholder. On average, I go to the parks about 3 times a month. Sometimes for the day, sometimes just for dinner and fireworks. IMO, the magic is still there!

 

[RainbowWit]

I grew up about 25 minutes from Orlando. I worked for Disney and Sea World while going to college. It never ruined the Magic for me. However, I can say that I'm a bigger disney freak living in the Midwest than I was living close. he magic is always there...but you tend to take it a little for granted when it is easily accessible.

 

[Feralpeg]

I agree with the others. The magic is still here for me. It is just a little different than when I used to visit before moving here.

I always enjoyed the planning for our vacation. DD and I spent hours talking over what we would do on our next trip, where we would stay, etc. That part is gone.

I always got this huge rush when we stepped off the plane in Orlando. That, of course, is gone.

That being said, I still finding it thrilling when I walk onto Main Street at MK or pass Spaceship Earth at Epcot. I enjoy the attractions, but now, I enjoy the little things as well. Not long ago, I spent an entire day at MK taking pictures of odd little things. I went for the details such as the lettering on the windows, the rifle in the window in Liberty Tree Square, etc. Those details are so cool. I also really enjoy watching the crowds.

DD and I love to go for lunch at one of the parks. Sometimes, we'll sit outside and watch the tourists. We try to guess where they are from. We like to go to DHS and guess which movie or tv program the music is from. We spend a lot of time on the details.

I live near Chase Road directly behind MK. I can also hear the train whistle multiple times a day. It's great knowing I'm so close to WDW.

For me, the greatest part, of living in Orlando, is the variety of things to do. For instance, today, DD and I are driving to Tampa for two nights. We will be staying at the Hard Rock hotel. We will be spending the day tomorrow at Busch Gardens. Last week, we spent one day at Sea World and another at DHS. We went for dinner one night at Narcoosee. On Friday, we plan on spending the day at Universal Studios. We don't limit ourselves to just Disney. We love Disney, but we love the other parks as well. DD has a friend coming to spend a week with us. We will go to Cocoa for the day to enjoy the beach. My point being that anyone who gets board in Orlando is because they aren't trying. I realize that the theme parks cost a lot of money, but there are many free things to do here as well. We have beautiful lakes, parks and museums. As you can tell, I'm in love with the Orlando area and Florida in general.

Since I am fascinated with it, if you have a love of the film industry, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in it as well here. I've worked crews, castings and have even written scripts. It's a blast and I've met a lot of great people. Life is all about what you make it to be.

 

[PKK/MJK]

Just sent you a Private Message!

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

okay heres a great question... windermere or lake buena vista area? i wanna be as close as possible to tha mouse house. watching wishes everynight from my yard would be amazing!

i found a place in l.b.v. called sabal palms apartments. if anyone has heard anything good or bad lemme know.

thanks again

Skip

Sabal Palms unfortunately is right on SR 535 meaning traffic traffic traffic! Anytime near dinner and you won't be able to get out of your complex!!

An apartment complex I'd like to recommend to you is Alexandria Parc Vue. It's on County Road 535, so it's in the same area and right near Buena Vista and Vista Roads, leading directly onto property. It also is easy access to Reams road and has apartments where you can view both Wishes and Illuminations from the balcony/porch!

If you'd like you can send me a PM and I'll give you all of the information that you might need!

 

[littlebigdog]

It's awesome that you are getting to move to Orlando! I saw in your sig that you are from Johnson City, and right now we live in Jonesborough. I'm trying to get my employer to let me relocate to Winter Park, but it may be a couple of months before I find out. Even though we live 11 hours away, we have made over 20 trips to Disney in two years time and we would love to be able to go anytime that we wanted without such a long drive. Good luck with the move and I hope you find a great place!

 

[justskip70003]

It's awesome that you are getting to move to Orlando! I saw in your sig that you are from Johnson City, and right now we live in Jonesborough. I'm trying to get my employer to let me relocate to Winter Park, but it may be a couple of months before I find out. Even though we live 11 hours away, we have made over 20 trips to Disney in two years time and we would love to be able to go anytime that we wanted without such a long drive. Good luck with the move and I hope you find a great place!

wow 20 in 2 years! i thought i was crazy with 4 in 1 year. yall have us beat hands down lol.

 

[CouchTater]

I'm glad to find this thread. I'm debating moving that way myself perhaps early next year upon retirement. I'm torn between there and NC where my daughter and grandkids just moved. I want to be close to them but I've always wanted to live near Disney and I figure that will give them a reason to want to come visit me lol. Hoping I see something here that will sway me.

 

[PatriciaH]

Congrats on the job! Wish I could find a good one and it had been nearly 5 years for me here! Lots of our friends have been laid off and are desperate for work. Most are applying elsewhere (other states and countries) now. If it were not for the work situation we would love it here. It is very expensive to live here too! Much higher groceries, taxes and electric than up north for us.

I have no clue how someone could say there is nothing to do here!!! That blows my mind. I am from NYC and DH is from Boston (I was there 9 years.) I also went to school in Baltimore and we went to DC all the time. There is as much or more to do here than those cities for sure! The culture may be a lot newer though. No houses from the 1700's here like MA/NH St. Augustine is old though and New Orleans is close for some great history. The beaches are close and we go for a weekend at least once a month. Cruise ports and Miami/Key West are close. The Caribbean, Mexico and South America are all short flights! The malls are beautiful-lots of shopping. Golf all over. Restaurants galore. Resorts to visit and stay at (like Gaylord Palms, the Ritz, The Peabody. etc.) The holidays are CRAZY! Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream, MNSSHP, Food and Wine, Holidays around The World, MVMCP, Ice, Candlelight Processional, etc, etc. You just need money! Be sure you make a lot

The parks do not get old for us and we go at least 3 times a week to walk around, eat, drink, etc. We went to DHS for Star Wars w/e Saturday, ate at Jiko Saturday night with friends, and then on to Raglan Road. Sunday we went to Epcot and ate lunch at Toyoko Dining. We did a Kim Possible adventure and I got a candy giraffe from the candy lady in Japan. My first one in years! Some things are still new and thrilling. Friends and family just left last week and we hung out at the Grand with them and it was like a mini vacation. I get to plan their trips so I still get that thrill.

Nice areas are Winter Park, Windemere, Dr. Phillips, Celebration, Lake Mary and the West Coast (Sarasota, Dunedin.)

Look at all the stuff here!

http://www.leugardens.org/

http://www.morsemuseum.org/

http://winterpark.org/

http://funandsun.com/parks/WekiwaSprings/wekiwa.html

http://www.boktowergardens.org/

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/

http://cityoforlando.net

http://www.cfhf.net/orlando/overview.htm

http://www.orlandogolf.com/

http://www.gatorland.com/

http://www.omart.org/

http://www.mennellomuseum.org/aboutus.html

http://www.downtownorlando.com/

http://www.thehistorycenter.org/exhibits/?art=current

http://www.clubfirestone.com/site.html

http://www.thewineroomonline.com/

http://www.worldbowlingcenter.com/v1/flash/

http://www.orlandopac.org/

[http://floridafilmfestival.com./

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/

http://www.cityartsfactory.com/

http://www.emptyspacestheatre.org/about.htm

http://www.theplazatheatre.com/

http://www.austinscoffee.com/

http://orlandofringe.org/

http://www.madcowtheatre.com/

http://www.thesocial.org/

 

[RabFlmom]

that I'm a bigger disney freak living in the Midwest than I was living close. he magic is always there...but you tend to take it a little for granted when it is easily accessible.
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I think another difference is that it is not quite the status symbol that is up North. If you vacation to Disney you take home t-shirts to let the neighbors know where you have been. You might even be like my sister and look for lawn ornaments to make sure the neighbors know you were down here.
Living on the East coast we do go to the parks. It is just a place to us to spend some enjoyable time on days off once in a while or to run from a hurricane. Most of us don't get there as often as a lot of you from up North etc. We wouldn't be caught dead in a Mickey shirt or any decorations around the house etc. Just isn't a "cool thing" to do. If you have kids regular living takes over-you do the school activities and weekend sports. My guys got into surfing and that pre-empted the mouse for years and years. Still not their favorite parks in the state even though one of them worked at Disney to help pay for college.
I actually think tourists would be surprised how many families down here never go to the parks. I think you would be surprised at the people in Orlando who have never been inside a Disney park, too.

 

[mollygirl13]

Congrats on the new move to Orlando!!

I wish you nothing but success!

I would love to move closer to the Mouse (my absolute DREAM!!) but DH's job prohibits us from doing so. So, we say that "when we retire we will be snowbirds!" We have a looooonnnnngggg way to go until we retire but we can dream!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Theme Parks Community board.

 

[justskip70003]

I've moved this thread to the Theme Parks Community board.

thanks brian.

sorry for off topic!

 

[Tizzy_Meliss]

Justskip, I'm also in the middle of a move to the Orlando area, well the middle of the Orlando and Tampa area, and my bit of advice, if you are moving with children, find out about the schools before you get your heart set on an apartment. We found in our search that we may find a nice apartment, but the schools weren't the best. Once you find a place you like, use Greatschools.com or Schooldigger.com to find out about the schools. I also suggest checking out Apartmentratings.com some things people complain about are minor, but it does help narrow places down.

Sabal Palms Review:
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/FL-Orlando-Sabal-Palm-at-Lake-Buena-Vista.html

 

[shasess]

Congrats on the job!! I keep telling DH that we need to move to Floriday so we (I) can be closer to Disney. I even tried to tell him that he could get season passes to see the Tampa Bay Buchaneers (his favorite football team). I don't think he's buying my hard sell !

 

[lucigo]

I've been watching this thread also, if anyone has any advice about schools in the area please post, I know you can look on greatschools.org but would really like to hear some opinions. My DH is a recent graduate to be a middle school math/science teacher and here in the panhandle there are no jobs and lots of layoffs. He is now in grad school to buy us some time, but our second choice from staying where we are is to move closer to the mouse. I have college kids, a high schooler and a 1st grader w/ special needs so need to really do my homework!

 

[PatriciaH]

Lots of teachers being laid off here in Orlando too.

 

[DisGal520]

Hi to all Floridians! Patricia H - hi from Baltimore

This has become my new favorite thread. We may be accepting an offer on our house today and that means we'll be checking out central FL again. Wish us luck

 

[lucigo]

Lots of teachers being laid off here in Orlando too.

I know its awful everywhere After posting yesterday, my DH is at a job interview this morning in Pensacola, maybe, just maybe we won't have to move!

 

[justskip70003]

wow,
i am so happy everyone is enjoying this thread. isnt is amazing how wonderful it is to have friends from all around. i have learned so much info on what areas to move and which ones to stay away from. my thanks to everyone!

as of last friday the move has been postponed til july 9th. so i have a lil more time to plan which isnt necessarily a bad thing... to all my friends!