Where is the closest city in FL to Disney?

dish rag said:

Most people who live in the Orlando area would not choose Celebration aa a place to live.

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I'm just curious, why is that? I haven't heard that before.
Thanks

karensi said:

I'm just curious, why is that? I haven't heard that before.
Thanks

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From what I've heard, rushed, poor-quality construction with questionable material choices. Also, an extremely restrictive HOA.

bcla said:

From what I've heard, rushed, poor-quality construction with questionable material choices. Also, an extremely restrictive HOA.

https://archpaper.com/2016/11/celebration-fl-mold-shoddy-construction/
Some roofs of Celebration’s 105 condos and 4,000 single-family homes are shrouded in tarps to forestall leaks, while balconies, separated from buildings and supported by temporary beams, are completely unusable. Mold creeps up the insides of nylon-lined walls, a disastrous, moisture-trapping material choice for the Florida climate.

Conditions are so bad that the condo owners’ association filed a civil suit this spring against the property owners that asks for $15 to $20 million in repairs. Residents say that despite the allure of Celebration’s compact layout and the imprimatur of famous architects, the buildings’ lack of structural integrity makes it difficult to sell homes.​

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Thank you, I've learned something new. Very interesting.

Saw this yesterday, it made me think of this thread.

Technically Golden Oak is the closest community

kdonnel said:

Saw this yesterday, it made me think of this thread.

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I saw that on Reddit. It honestly made me sad/kind of mad. It took me by surprise because I didn’t realize Orlando had that kind of reputation. I love this city and am grateful to live here. Although maybe if people stop moving here rents will go down!

Feralpeg said:

I live in Windermere. I am less than a mile behind Magic Kingdom.

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Not to hijack this thread or anything, but that is the area I've been looking into. I actually search "Horizons West" when looking at houses. I'm a single mother with a 9 year old daughter who lives in Maryland, and even though it's just an idea that's been growing more and more in my mind, I thought I'd ask for your thoughts on the area.

BrinkofSunshine said:

I saw that on Reddit. It honestly made me sad/kind of mad. It took me by surprise because I didn’t realize Orlando had that kind of reputation. I love this city and am grateful to live here. Although maybe if people stop moving here rents will go down!

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I’ve been binge watching Fresh off the Boat and they have not been very Orlando positive either.

They have mentioned in multiple episodes that every building in Orlando used to be a strip club. Sounds fun!

My dd has lived in Clermont and is now is Kissimmee. She is about 15 mins to MK, and is very close to AK...probably about 5-8 mins away. But, it's very congested in that area, lots of touristy things and traffic. Clermont was less touristy, but is further away, as is Davenport. But, many CMs live in Clermont and Davenport.

kdonnel said:

Saw this yesterday, it made me think of this thread.

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That’s actually a picture of Disneyland CA, but the point is still valid.

L&Lfan said:

That’s actually a picture of Disneyland CA, but the point is still valid.

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Which one is the picture of Disneyland, the one on the left or the one on the right?

kdonnel said:

I’ve been binge watching Fresh off the Boat and they have not been very Orlando positive either.

They have mentioned in multiple episodes that every building in Orlando used to be a strip club. Sounds fun!

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I mean that’s obviously an exaggeration haha. I’ve only seen the first few episodes of Fresh of the Boat but I do remember them not painting it in the best light. Granted it takes place like 20 years ago, and a lot has changed here over the decades.

Walt Disney World is the size of San Francisco, so there are many places around that are close. Depends on what you want to be close to. Celebration is certainly close and I think carries over that vacation lifestyle feel, but cost prohibitive and small. Areas like Davenport and Kissimmee are close, but you'll be living among many tourists and people renting houses for a week's vacation. You may be fine with that in a snow bird rental situation, but if buying, its something to consider.

BrinkofSunshine said:

I mean that’s obviously an exaggeration haha.

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Yeah, probably only 3 out of 4 instead of every building.

bcla said:

From what I've heard, rushed, poor-quality construction with questionable material choices. Also, an extremely restrictive HOA.

https://archpaper.com/2016/11/celebration-fl-mold-shoddy-construction/
Some roofs of Celebration’s 105 condos and 4,000 single-family homes are shrouded in tarps to forestall leaks, while balconies, separated from buildings and supported by temporary beams, are completely unusable. Mold creeps up the insides of nylon-lined walls, a disastrous, moisture-trapping material choice for the Florida climate.

Conditions are so bad that the condo owners’ association filed a civil suit this spring against the property owners that asks for $15 to $20 million in repairs. Residents say that despite the allure of Celebration’s compact layout and the imprimatur of famous architects, the buildings’ lack of structural integrity makes it difficult to sell homes.​

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And that's just for starters. Was built on a swamp during the building boom. Contractors were hiring very un skilled workers. Materials were hard to come by, sub par materials were used. Rising metal prices caused builders to use cheap junk, like out door light fixtures and electrical boxes. Horrible window installs. The place is a mess. Things like furnaces in 3rd floor attics. Good luck changing them.

kdonnel said:

Yeah, probably only 3 out of 4 instead of every building.

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That’s probably more like it

Orlando is like any other large city. There are good areas and not so good.

I live in Winderemere. It is a very nice area. Homes in this area range from $250$ to millions. It is very close to WDW property. Unlike Celebration, it is not a tourist area. Winderemere just doesn't draw them the way Celebration does. Apartments in Winderemere start at around $1200 for a one bedroom. There is one small shopping mall featuring mainly restaurants. For other shopping, most use Winter Gareden Village.

Winter Garden is about a ten minute drive from WDW property. It is a nice, quiet residential area. Some of Winter Garden is older and a bit rundown, but there is a movement to refurbish those areas. Old Winter Garden is a unique shopping and dining area that is spurring the restoration of older homes in the area.

Ocoee is east of Winter Garden. It is an older area and has a mixed bag of good vs not so good. It runs up against the Pine Hills area. Pine Hills is an older area known for higher crime. The closer you get in Ocoee to Winter Garden, the nicer the area.

Gotta is a tiny town nestled between Ocoee, Winter Garden and Windermere. It is really nice. Homes there tend to be pricey.

Clermont is a very nice city west of Winter Garden and North of Disney. It is a bit further from Disney property, but still less than a 30 minute drive. Clermont has changed dramatically since I moved to the area 14 years ago. It is growing at a rapid pace. Lots of new housing and businesses being developed. Housing tends to be slightly lower than Winter Garden. Nice place!

I don't know the areas south of Disney as well. I really don't go there that often because it is just to congested and touristy. Celebration is just off 192. That road is just one long tourist trap. Celebration is attractive and the little downtown areas is quaint. Parking is horrible. Celebration is known for its shoddy construction. There was a book written about it. Everyone connects it to Disney, but Disney really has nothing to do with it. The land originally belonged to Disney. That's about the only connection. Tourists go there thinking it is a Disney town. It isn't. I wouldn't live there just because it draws the tourists.

Kissimmee and St Cloud are older areas. The are a mixture of older neighborhoods and motels. Very congested areas.

Davenport is the home to many Disney cast members because of its lower prices housing. There are many rent controlled and government subsidized apartments in this area. The waiting lists for apartments there can be years.

Of course there are many other areas of Orlando that are very nice. The commute to Disney is much longer.

If I had to work and wanted to live in the Orlando area, I'd live near where I worked.
Traffic in Orlando is horrible. Most of the main roads are toll roads. I4 is a mess due to construction. It is supposed to improve things eventually.

Just keep in mind, if you are thinking of moving to Central Florida, over 900 people are moving to this area per week. Housing and infrastructure are not keeping up with the people moving here. The area has changed dramatically over the past ten years and not all for the good. And, I will just throw this out. Many of the people I know, who moved to the area thought they'd spend a lot of time in the parks , have found that is not the case.

I still love living here, but not as much as I did. Things are changing. Hope this info helps.

dish rag said:

Things like furnaces in 3rd floor attics. Good luck changing them.

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My home in Georgia has two furnaces in the 3rd floor attic. The AC company had no problem replacing them.

Another home I owned had the furnace in the attic of a ranch. Again no problems with access to replace.

While there may be reasons to complain about Celebration, furnaces in the attic are not a problem.

dish rag said:

Most people who live in the Orlando area would not choose Celebration aa a place to live.

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I remember when Celebration was in the planning stages, it was advertised to be the incarnate of EPCOT, and was, I believe, falsely being sold as a Disney project.

rickybobby said:

I remember when Celebration was in the planning stages, it was advertised to be the incarnate of EPCOT, and was, I believe, falsely being sold as a Disney project.

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We visited when construction had just started in 1996 or 1997 and Disney was still involved at that point.